Ruling splits Sarasota County

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By Lloyd Dunkelberger and Zac Anderson

TALLAHASSEE -- Rejecting maps advanced by the Legislature, a trial court judge on Friday backed a redistricting plan for Florida’s 27 congressional members that will split Sarasota County between two congressional districts.

House Redistricting Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, left, has a deeper understanding of the Florida House than do many serving in that body. (ARCHIVE PHOTO)

House Redistricting Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, left, has a deeper understanding of the Florida House than do many serving in that body. (ARCHIVE PHOTO)

Circuit Judge Terry Lewis ruled in favor of a map advanced by the Florida League of Women Voters and Common Cause, groups that successfully challenged the original redistricting plan drawn by lawmakers in 2012 and modified in 2014. The state Supreme Court in July ordered lawmakers to redraw the congressional map, finding the former map violated the state constitutional ban against creating districts that favor political parties or incumbents.

Lawmakers failed to pass a new map in a two-week special session in August, sending them to Lewis’ courtroom to settle the issue. Lewis’ recommended map now heads back to the Supreme Court for a final decision.

In adopting the proposal from the LWV, Lewis backed a map that will split Sarasota County between Congressional District 16, now held by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, and Congressional District 17, held by U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee. The county was entirely in Buchanan’s district under the prior map.

0806_district16_sarasota

Under the new map, Sarasota residents will make up only 31 percent of the population in CD 17 and 23.5 percent of the nine-county CD 16.

Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said Friday she was “very disappointed” by the judge’s decision as it pertains to Sarasota County and she believes the general public will be “outraged.”

Without a majority of the constituents in either of the two new congressional districts that cover the county, Sarasota candidates could have a difficult time winning either seat.

“You have permanently taken away our congressperson,” Detert said, arguing somebody who lives in the county will know the community better and be a stronger advocate. “A person can’t win from Sarasota anymore. It’s now a Charlotte seat and a Manatee seat.”

Buchanan offered a more subdued response Friday.

“We’ve been through so many maps,” he said in a statement. “Let’s wait and see what the Supreme Court decides to do.”

Rooney said he understands the argument behind having one congressional member for all of Sarasota County but said there also are advantages to having two members of Congress. He noted that he and Buchanan sit on two of the most powerful House committees.

“I don’t see how you can say having a member of Congress on Appropriations and having a member on Ways and Means is a bad thing for one county,” Rooney said.

The attorney and Army veteran is no stranger to Sarasota County. His in-laws live in Venice and he visits them two to three times a year. He believes his conservative political views also are in sync with the region, which is more staunchly conservative than the northern part of the county.

“I feel very comfortable there,” Rooney said. “I don’t feel like a stranger or that my ideology wouldn’t jibe with the constituency there.”

David King, the lead lawyer for the LWV, called Lewis’ decision a “great victory for the people of Florida and for restoration of representative democracy as it was intended to work.”

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said Lewis’ recommended map was “essentially the House map” outside of changes to eight districts in Southeast Florida. The major difference involved the seat held by U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Miami.

The Senate was in agreement with the House on the Southeast Florida districts but differed elsewhere on the maps, including supporting a plan to keep Sarasota unified in one district.

Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said Lewis’ decision underscored the importance of lawmakers coming together on a joint redistricting plan for the 40 state Senate seats. Lawmakers begin a three-week Senate redistricting session on Oct. 19.

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Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lloyd Dunkelberger is the Htpolitics.com Capital Bureau Chief. He can be reached by email or call 850 556-3542. ""More Dunkelberger" Make sure to "Like" HT Politics on Facebook for all your breaking political news.
Last modified: October 9, 2015
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