By Noni Haynes
The Florida Capitol-Special legislative sessions are expensive beyond actual dollars because critics say is the Republican legislature has failed to act on issues hurting Floridians. This session, Governor Ron DeSantis passed a redistricting plan that erased 4 Democratic congressional districts in exchange for a job in the Trump Administration. That plan was revealed by Politico, National Public Radio, and in numerous national news reports. “For Governor DeSantis, this is about winning elections, not the census or complying with Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment. Any redistricting plan should follow the law, and this map clearly violates both its letter and its intent. This map is clearly illegal, and even a packed court like Florida’s will have to recognize that and ultimately strike it down,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost of Orlando.
Trump made known that he needs southern states to create more Republican seats in a desperate attempt to avert the inevitable Democratic takeover of the US House of Representatives. But it is not working as he planned.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly slammed the political power play, saying, “I’ve long believed the answer to political gerrymandering is taking the maps out of politicians entirely. Florida just became the latest state to show why we need independent redistricting commissions: lines drawn by independent bodies, fairly, that empower the most voters in the corner of our state. Reform is desperately needed, and as governor, that’s what I will fight for.”
But DeSantis and most Republican lawmakers went a step further by defying the Florida constitutional amendments to create 4 Republican districts that disenfranchise voters. And once again, the target is Black voters who are overwhelmingly Democratic. “This is my home. No matter how they draw lines on the map, I’m Tampa Bay’s congresswoman, and I’m going to fight to lower costs,” says Congresswoman Cathy Castor, a popular leader whose seat was eliminated. She is running anyway, in a region where recently, an unknown labor leader and Navy Veteran Brian Nathan won a solidly Republican state Senate seat. Nathan’s narrow victory not only mimicked the national trend, but it was one of four Democratic upsets in Florida in a matter of months.
The 9-point swing was driven by 3 of 4 Independent voters voting for the Democrat and significant crossover voting by Republicans. Many Florida Republicans are worried about this dramatic shift and say it could backfire. Rep. Carlos Gimenez said that those Democratic flips prove that “By trying to create more, you may end up with less”.
Rep. Greg Steube advised lawmakers to be “very cognizant” that aggressive redrawing could put incumbent Republican members at higher risk.
Jolly, Castor, and Nathan are candidates with a lot in common. Their electability is high because their broad appeal crosses party lines, increasing the likelihood of victory. And coalition building has been Jolly’s plan from the start.
The day the legislature cast the final vote on the GOP redistricting plan, Jolly announced the formation of his Health Security team. Flanked by Dr. Jay Epstein and Dr. Aileen Marty, he stood between the Senate and House chambers and discussed the details of a plan that puts the health of Floridians before politics. Add that to the chaos and medical misinformation spread by controversial Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. Jolly pledged to “fire the Surgeon General on day one.” Ask yourself: Is my healthcare more stable and secure than it was four, eight, or 12 years ago? For too many of us, the answer is no—and the solution is clear: get politics out of public health.”