Florida House Proposes To Remake Broward’s Delegation
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward’s Florida House delegation will be dramatically restructured, leaving a number of incumbents with uncertain futures as they are forced to campaign in new areas.
Almost every Broward House member will have to introduce themselves to thousands of voters who never saw their names on a ballot if the redistricting plan introduced by Republican leaders stands.
At least one member –State Rep. Elaine Schwartz, a liberal Democrat from Hollywood — had her current district all but disappear, making it much harder for her to win next year.
The plan still must be accepted by the state Senate and the courts. But numerous Tallahassee insiders say it will probably remain very similar to this week’s proposal.
It will impact:
- Hollywood, which has long been a center of Democratic strength, has been sliced and diced. Schwartz saw her current district, which includes the bulk of Hollywood to the beach, eliminated. Much of Hollywood is now turned over to a Miami-Dade district stretching from Surfside through east Hollywood. Much of the remainder is stuffed into a district which stretches west through black areas, which appears to be similar to that now served by state Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale.
- State Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, had his district shifted away from the east Broward area to areas in Southwest Broward where is has never run. Will he reconsider running for county commission after looking at these maps?
- The open seat that state Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, is leaving in 2012. Parkland Commissioner Jared Moskowitz is currently the only Democrat campaigning for the Democratic seat. But Parkland won’t be in Porth’s newly-revamped district. That community has been given to a seat now held by State Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek.
- Black voters, who appear to get five different black seats in the House plan. Five black seats is the status quo, since five black House members currently represent parts of Broward.
- Hispanics, who appear to have an access seat in Broward that they can win, according to a state Democratic source. The seat in Southwest Broward containing almost everything west of Interstate 75 from Interstate 595 to the county line. There are currently has no Hispanics in the House who live in Broward.
- State Rep. George Moraitis Jr., whose district boundaries were pushed farther west. A state Republican source says the state party fears that the Fort Lauderdale Republican may be too conservative for much crossover appeal to the new voters.
December 7th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Are the proposed District boundaries available on-line for the general public to view?
FROM BUDDY:
Absolutely: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Redistricting/Redistricting2012.aspx
December 7th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
1. Ari has never represented Parkland. Marty Kiar does. Jared has always been campaigning for District 96, which, again, has not included Parkland for since the last redistricting.
2. Evan Jenne is done in Tally it appears. This is too bad as he is a good representative.
3. Is someone from Pembroke Pines going to run in the new Weston/PP based seat or is Rick Startk going to walk in?
4. I actually think Elaine will be ok. We’ll see.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
I’m not sure which maps you’re looking at, but in all of the 5 House maps, Jenne’s district (100) still hugs the coastline and includes his home area of Dania Beach.
I don’t see any SW shift in district 100 in these maps.
FROM BUDDY:
You are right. There isn’t a SW shift in District 100. District 100 was shifted entirely to the east and now hugs the coast, as you wrote. It doesn’t hug the coast now, but runs from the beach to Southwest Ranches.
I looked at the maps geographically, not by number. The District that is closest to the one Jenne serves is is now numbered 99. It shifts west and north from Jenne’s old district and leaves much of Dania Beach out.
December 7th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
It doesn’t not surprise me one bit that Rep.Moratis according to insiders up in Tallahasse that he is way to Conserative for Broward County etc. The” one shot” wonder w/ $$$ better get the message.
December 7th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Buddy is right. Jenne has to run in areas both north and south of I 595 he never represented before. He loses the beach.
If he chooses to run in the district now labeled 100, he will be running on the beach probably against Elaine Schwartz, a fellow Democrat. And he again will be running in areas he never was before.
December 7th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Really Robert and who does Moritias have to worry about? The Sterns’? Judy Stern couldnt even pull get 40% for her daughter. Maybe things will be different for Judy if Charlotte and their pals Mary Graham and Jackie Scott win.
December 7th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Hey Buddy, can I get some recognition for calling the creation of a new SW Broward Hispanic seat months before any of these politicos ? I wrote on your blog multiple times.
FROM BUDDY:
You just got it.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
which one of the five proposals from the House Redistricting Committee are you looking at, Buddy? H000H9015, H000H9017, H000H9019, H000H9021, or H000H9023?
December 8th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I hope Ryan’s prediction of a Hispanic district isn’t House 104. The numbers don’t support it.
December 8th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
According to the House website, District 104 is 43.23% Hispanic voting age population. Heres the link: http://censusvalidator.blob.core.windows.net/mydistrictbuilderdata/Legislative%20Plans/H000H9015.pdf
December 9th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
So let me get this straight:
1. Richard “Rick” Stark who was the Broward Republican Party Treasurer up to a few years ago changed his party affiliation to Democrat just to get elected as a Democrat is running for the new Florida House District 104 (he is filed now as 98 — Franklin Sands old seat which has changed to cover all of Weston and half of Pembroke Pines);
2. City of Weston Commissioner Angel Gomez (Son-in-law of term limited Florida State House Representative Franklin “Bernie Madoff stole my millions and that is why I am running for School Board at Age 70+” Sands) is alleged to be in the running to run as a Democrat in the said House 104 seat because his father-in-law (Franklin “Bernie Madoff…” Sands) bequeathed him the possibility of keeping it in the family because Angel is a school teacher turned “Adminstrator.”
3. Dan Stermer, former Weston Commissioner is going to run because of all his great works at Weston and on the Metropolitan Planning Organization (that hidden Broward County Transportation agency that divies up millions of dollars deciding who gets to build what roads in Broward County).
There has to be someone better.
December 12th, 2011 at 9:03 am
There is another choice for 104. Dr Robin Behrman, a school adminstrator for over 36 years is in the new distict 104. She lives in Davie and understands the intersts of the people in this district. Don’t expect anyone of the others mentioned to have a cakewalk. That isn’t going to happen. She’s smart, hardworking and credible, can and continues to raise funds, and is committed to this.
December 12th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Stark changed his registration long before he even thought of running for the legislature. Not that it matters. Just ask Scott Israel who absolutely did change to run. Bill Markham did, too, when he almost got beat. But you can’t ask him since he’s dead.
Angel’s not running. He’s running for re-election to his commission seat.
And Stermer? Schooler’s a day late and a dollar short. He ran and backed out of the race three months ago to run for Weston Mayor.
Oh, and to Triptrey – Davie’s not in district 104. Weston, Southwest Ranches and Pembroke Pines. Behrman would have to carpet bag it.
FROM BUDDY:
Nick Navarro changed his registration close to the filing day. His actions generated a law suit from some Democratic insiders, but he beat them in court and went on to win two terms as Sheriff.
December 12th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
She lives in the new 104. Trust me
December 12th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
And carpetbagging is best left to others.
December 12th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I just wanted to clarify that if 104 looks like it does now, using I-75 as an eastern boundary in most areas, there is a part of incorporated Davie in that District. And, I am most certainly a candidate, as I live in that newly formed District.
I have no intention of carpet bagging outside of my home District. My campaign is all about representing the hardworking people of the District who include friends, family, colleagues, fellow Broward residents and those who love living in the State of Florida.
Please look at my website: http://www.robinbehrman.com
December 12th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
With respect to Mrs. Behrman, the proposed map most likely to pass doesnt contain any of Davie in District 104, Davie is in District 98. I just double checked the maps myself
December 13th, 2011 at 11:20 am
I heard Robin Berman speak at a club event in Weston. She’s a single-issue candidate with a strong sense of entitlement because her husband wanted to run and didn’t so now it’s her turn. Odd.
December 14th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Seems as though the article leaves a few candidates out. Not sure why that is. Also, there is another candidate for the former District 96 and what is being referred to as District 97 on the latest maps. That is James Gleason, who lives in the former District 96 and in the district for the updated maps.
December 14th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
To clarify, the former District 96 is the open seat that state Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, is leaving in 2012.
July 27th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
I am voting for Daniel Dickey over Angel “I’ll do whatever my father-in-law tells me” Gomez. I was hesitant because he looks young, but I grilled him with questions at an HOA meeting and Weston’s 4th of July parade….. he knows what he is talking about and seems to be busting his butt to get resident’s opinions. Kid is going to go far!