Florida will obtain one additional district in the U.S. House of Representatives just in time for the 2022 midterms, the Census Bureau indicated Monday.
With Florida’s population increase of 2.73 million or 14.6 percent, a newly drawn district may be carved into Republican held Central Florida, according to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research’s (BEBR) growth data.
The data suggests Central Florida, which roughly includes Lake, Sumter (The Villages), Polk Osceola, and Orange counties through the I4 corridor, has the largest combined population growth of an estimated 15 percent plus. In real numbers, each of those counties has grown by more than 60,000 people.
Comparatively, South Florida, a typically bluer part of the state, has grown between 7.5 percent to 14.9 percent. South Florida has similar growth in terms of absolute numbers.
In addition to the data, the state’s Republican dominated legislature will ultimately decide how the new district will be shaped. The legislature will begin the process when the 2020 census data is officially broken down later this year, updating BEBR’s data.
Lake County’s Property Appraiser and former Republican State Senator Carey Baker informed Breitbart News he expects the new district to be created in the vicinity of the I4 corridor, a politically coveted piece of real estate that runs from Orlando in Orange County to Tampa, Florida.
“It depends on where the actual numbers are realized,” he said. “It takes nearly 800,000 people to create a new district. The politics will become more clear when the numbers are solidified.”
Baker also explained the population numbers would likely be cemented in late summer or early fall in which case it will take a “few more months to sort through the data, draw the maps, and hold a special session to adopt the new maps.”
“Legal challenges are to be expected from the Democrats,” Baker warned. “Don’t forget a liberal activist judge actually drew the State Senate and Congressional district maps in 2010. They won’t let their control go without a fight.”
Central Florida, excluding the Democrat stronghold of Orlando, has been reliably Republican with responsible local leadership. It was not by accident former President Trump held a campaign rally in The Villages, a 55 year and older community, during his 2020 campaign, as the Morse family, who captains The Villages, leans Republican.
Leesburg’s City Commissioner in Lake County and influential statewide businessman Dan Robuck III told Breitbart News, “Florida’s pro-growth policies continue to attract businesses and people wanting to get away from government overreach in other states.”
Lake County north of the I4 corridor has grown in excess of 30 percent. “We’ve seen consistently strong growth over the past several years,” Rubuck added via text.
Meanwhile, the race for the new congressional seat has already begun. State Representative Anthony Sabatini, an “America-First conservative,” already declared his candidacy for the open seat March 8. Reports show Sabatini is “off to [a] strong start” by raising $170,000 in his first 24 days.
“We need more fighters,” he said at this campaign launch. “We need more people like Donald Trump and less people like Mitch McConnell and Liz Cheney.”
No other individuals have joined the race thus far on either side of the aisle.
For a new seat to be created, old districts must be reshaped. Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL), representing District 11 and much of Central Florida, will campaign for reelection in his newly shaped district.
“I am committed to continuing to work hard to block the Democrats’ liberal agenda and earn the support of my constituents once again in November 2022,” he said shortly after Sabatini’s announcement, adding, “It is an honor to serve the Floridians across Lake, Sumter, Hernando, Citrus, and Marion counties that live in CD-11.”
Republicans presently have a 16-10 margin in Florida’s congressional delegation. The edge was broadened during the 2020 cycle when two sitting Democrats in South Florida were ousted due to fears of flourishing socialism.
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