Issue Position: Gerrymandering

Issue Position

Gerrymandering

At the federal level, I will take a strong stand against gerrymandering. I will also do everything possible to support the Fair Districts Now amendment at the state level.

Gerrymandering is cowardly, selfish, and bad for democracy

For decades politicians in Florida selfishly drew legislative and Congressional districts to protect themselves or advance the interests of their political parties. So effective and unabashed was this gerrymandering, that over the last decade only a small fraction of legislative incumbents were defeated.

Gerrymandering makes Congress less effective
When Representatives are drawn into gerrymandered districts, the general election doesn't matter. In some cases, the incumbent runs completely unopposed, as John Mica did in 1998 and 2004. Unopposed candidates only fuel increasingly partisan politics.

If the primary becomes the de facto general election, there is a rancorous race to the extreme. In the last 20 years, the most competitive race John Mica had was against Sandy Adams, in the 2012 Republican primary. It was the nastiest, most bitter primary in Florida, if not the entire country. The general election, however, was an afterthought.

Florida's 7th and the I-4 Corridor

Our district, just north of Florida, includes most of Seminole County, as well as the north end of Orange County and the southwest of Volusia County. Interstate 4, "the I-4 Corridor," runs through it north to south. Take a look at the map of our district (also available here as a Google map). Do you notice anything strange?

If you start from Volusia County, and drive south along I-4 to Orange County, you actually leave the district twice. Guess where? First, in Sanford, as you drive from Volusia to Seminole County. Then, in Eatonville, as you drive from Seminole County to Orange County. What do Sanford and Eatonville have in common? They don't always vote Republican, which is a problem for John Mica.

The worst-shaped district in the country

... belongs to Rep. Corrine Brown. Her district zigzags from Orlando to Sanford to Gainesville to Jacksonville in ludicrous, luciferous snake-like fashion, as far as democracy is concerned. I want to advance federal policies and work with state governments to put an end to gerrymandering.

Gerrymandered districts make the people suffer

When a district is drawn so as to directly include or to directly exclude certain segments of our population, our country suffers. The people suffer, too, because it means they must travel further to visit their Representative's office. Ultimately, it means Representatives don't have to represent the people because their district makes victory a foregone conclusion.

Fair Districts Now

I fully support the Fair Districts Now initiative to ensure that U.S. Congressional Districts, as well as districts used for State governments, are objectively drawn.

Source