The Florida Supreme Court has approved a new congressional map. The new map will likely alter politics in central Florida.
The districts of Democrat Corrine Brown and Republican Daniel Webster will change with Brown’s district running east west instead of snaking south from Jacksonville into central Florida. Webster’s district moves into predominately democratic Orange County.
“The quick numbers of the new maps suggest that democrats ought to be able to pick up a couple seats,” said University of Central Florida Political Science Professor Aubrey Jewett.
The new map also cuts the percentage of Hispanics in Alan Grayson’s congressional district. “If the district had remained the same at 40 percent Hispanic it’s likely that a Hispanic might have been elected this time around, perhaps Darren Soto,” said Jewett. “Now the changes are somewhat less. I mean certainly if he runs he still has a shot.”
The ruling ends a nearly four-year legal battle, although Brown has threatened to sue, saying the new map diminishes minority voting.