Redistricting’s Impact on Elections

LAST FRIDAY MARKED THE QUALIFYING DEADLINE FOR CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR ELECTED OFFICES IN FLORIDA'S MIDTERM ELECTIONS. NOW THAT MEANS VOTERS HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHO THEY'LL HAVE TO CHOOSE FROM ON THEIR BALLOT, RANGING FROM GOVERNOR TO LOCAL ELECTIONS LIKE THE SCHOOL BOARD WGCU HOST AND REPORTER JOHN DAVIS JOINS US NOW WITH AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE LATEST ELECTION NEWS. THE JOHN ALL OF FLORIDA'S 28 U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT SEATS ARE UP FOR GRABS, RIGHT SPECIFICALLY. WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO PAY ATTENTION TO IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA? >> SO HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 19 RACE. THIS IS THE SEAT BEING VACATED BY BYRON DONALDS AS HE TAKES ON A BID FOR GOVERNOR. THERE'S ACTUALLY NOW THAT THE QUALIFYING DEADLINE IS OVER. WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE 15 QUALIFIED CANDIDATES IN THIS RACE. SO THIS RACE HAS MORE CANDIDATES THAN IT IS MORE CROWDED THAN ANY OTHER CONGRESSIONAL RACE IN FLORIDA THIS YEAR. SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GETTING A LOT MORE ATTENTION. THERE'S 10 REPUBLICANS AND 3 DEMOCRATS AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS DISTRICT HAVE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THAT RECENT MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING EFFORT. THE LEGISLATURE DEAD, IT'S STILL GOING TO CONTAIN MOSTLY COASTAL LEE AND COLLIER COUNTIES. BUT THE CITY OF FORT MYERS, LEHIGH ACRES, SOME OF THE MORE INLAND AREAS OF LEE COUNTY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CUT OUT OF THE DISTRICT AND THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDES ME. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A DISTRICT 19 VOTER AND NOW I'M GONNA FIND MYSELF IN DISTRICT 17. SO THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK FOLKS THAT MAYBE WANT TO CHECK THEIR BALLOTS ON. PEOPLE MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THAT CHANGES HAPPENED BUT THAT CHANGED IN THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARY IS NOT REALLY GOING TO AFFECT THE CONSERVATIVE-LEANING TAILED OF VOTERS IN THE DISTRICT. AND THIS IS A DISTRICT THAT HAS LONG ATTRACTED CONSERVATIVE OUTSIDERS. ONE OF THE CANDIDATES IN THIS RACE AS MADISON, CONN FOREIGN, HE'S A FORMER U.S. HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE FROM NORTH CAROLINA. BUT THEN HE LOST HIS RE-ELECTION BID IN 2021. AND MOVED TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TO RUN HERE. AND TO ME, THAT WAS REMINISCENT OF IN 2016 WHEN THE CURRENT DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR DAN VAN, GINO MOVED TO NAPLES TO RUN FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 19 RACE. HE LOST THAT PRIMARY. AND THEN TO FRANCIS ROONEY WHO ACTUALLY ENDED UP WINNING THE SEAT JUST NORTH OF AD AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 17, WHICH IF YOU LIVE IN LEHIGH ACRES LIKE I DO, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE VOTING IN. NOW THAT THE OLD DISTRICT HAD ALL OF SARASOTA AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES AND THEN PART OF NORTHERN LEE COUNTY, THIS NEW DISTRICT GIVES UP THE EASTERN INLAND PORTION OF SARASOTA AND TAKES AND AGAIN, MORE OF THE CITY OF FORT MYERS. BUT AGAIN, THIS ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE THE REPUBLICAN LEANING NATURE OF THE DISTRICTS, INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN GREG STEUBE E IS TAKING REELECTION. NO REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER HAS EVEN QUALIFIED. SO I I THINK IT'S LIKELY THAT HE WILL PROBABLY WIN REELECTION. AND THEN IF WE CAN JUST MOVE GEOGRAPHICALLY JUST NORTH OF THAT TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, 16 RACE, THIS NEWLY REDRAWN DISTRICT NOW INCLUDES ALL OR PORTIONS OF SARASOTA MANATEE DESOTO, HEARTY POLK AND PINELLAS COUNTIES NOW, THIS DOES THIS GEOGRAPHIC CHANGE? IT DOES MEAN THERE ARE MORE DEMOCRATS IN THE DISTRICT THAN THERE WERE IN PAST ELECTIONS. BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH OF A CHANGE LIKELY 2 ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THE BALANCE OF POWER POLITICALLY. THERE THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE 5 DEMOCRATS IN THE RACE MORE THAN THE REPUBLICANS. SO I DO THINK DEMOCRATS DO SEE THIS DISTRICT IS BEING MORE COMPETITIVE AS IT HAVE BEEN. AND IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE BUCHANAN. THE CURRENT OFFICEHOLDER. HAS BEEN IN CONGRESS FOR 10 YEARS 20, I'M SORRY, 10 TERMS. 20 YEARS. SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME IN 3 DECADES THAT THE DISTRICT WON'T BE REPRESENTED BY THE CAST. >> WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE GUBERNATORIAL RACE IN FLORIDA? SO WE NOW KNOW AGAIN BECAUSE THE QUALIFYING PERIOD AS PASTORS, 20 A QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, INCLUDING 6 DEMOCRATS AND 11 REPUBLICANS. >> AND THEN AN ASSORTMENT OF NPA AND WRITE-IN CANDIDATES. AND I'LL JUST BE BRIEF HERE ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. WE HAVE FORMER CONGRESSMAN DAVID JOLLY AND THIS IS NOTABLE BECAUSE HE'S THE FIRST CANDIDATE IN THE RACE TO ACTUALLY DECLARE A RUNNING MATE. AND HE'S CHOSEN GWEN GRAHAM AND THIS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE JOLLY WHAT USED TO BE A REPUBLICAN MEMBER OF CONGRESS, BUT HE LEFT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND IS NOW RUNNING AS A DEMOCRAT AND HE AND GWEN GRAHAM ACTUALLY SERVED IN CONGRESS TOGETHER WHEN THEY WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE AISLE. SHE RAN FOR GOVERNOR IN THE PAST. HER FATHER IS FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR BOB GRAHAM. AND ALSO ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS HAVE BEEN A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE. BUT BEFORE QUALIFYING DEADLINE, HE PULLED OUT OF THE RACE AFTER RECEIVING AN UNFORTUNATE CANCER DIAGNOSIS. THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THOUGH, AGAIN, WE HAVE BYRON DONALDS. HE I WAS KIND OF ONE OF THE FIRST TO ENTER THE RACE. HE EARNED DONALD TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT AND HE'S JUST POLLING HIGHER AND RAISING A LOT MORE MONEY. BUT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF PROMINENT CONTENDERS IN THERE. MY CURRENT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JAY COLLINS, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER PAUL RENNER AND INVESTOR JAMES FISHBACK TO NAME A FEW THERE WHEN IT COMES TO THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONTENTION. >> WITHIN THE GOP REGARDING THIS RACE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS? >> RIGHT. THAT'S BEEN INTERESTING. SO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA, THEY'RE PLANNING THEIR MAIN POLITICAL EVENT FOR THIS RACE. THEY'RE CALLING IT THE SUNSHINE STATE. SHOWDOWN OF THIS IS A POLITICAL SUMMIT IN CANADA FOR HIM. IT'S SET FOR JUNE 27TH AT THE SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO IN HOLLYWOOD AND JAMES FISHBACK. THE CANDIDATE I MENTIONED BEFORE WAS INVITED TO THE EVENT AND THAT CAUSED A LOT OF INTERNAL CRITICISM OF THE PARTY BECAUSE OF FISH FACTS, SORT OF ONGOING ASSOCIATION WITH PEOPLE WHO HOLD OPENLY ANTI-SEMITIC AND WHITE NATIONALIST IDEOLOGIES, NAMELY INFLUENCER NICK FUENTES. SO THEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY RESCINDED FISH BACK. SOME OF THAT HAITIAN WITH A STRONGLY WORDED, YOU KNOW, NO KIND OF CONDEMNING ANTI-SEMITISM ALTOGETHER. BUT THEN THERE'S MORE CONTROVERSY BECAUSE THE STATE PARTY HAS ESTABLISHED RULES FOR WHO QUALIFIES TO ACTUALLY BE IN THE REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE AT THAT SUMMIT LATER THIS MONTH. AND IT REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 10% OF SUPPORT IN PUBLIC OPINION POLLS AND ALSO THAT THE CANDIDATES HAVE RAISED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. I THINK IT'S 10 MILLION DOLLARS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. AND UNDER THOSE RULES, BYRON DONALDS WOULD BE THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO HAS QUALIFIED TO BE ON THAT STAGE. YOU OBVIOUSLY CAN'T HAVE A DEBATE WITH JUST ONE CANDIDATE. SO THIS HAS DRAWN THE IRE OF EVEN REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS. HE RECENTLY PUT OUT A STATEMENT CRITICIZING STATE REPUBLICAN PAIR OF IN POWER AS, QUOTE, INSULTING THE INTELLIGENCE OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS. AND IT'S JUST SORT OF INTERESTING BECAUSE THESE ARE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S RULES. BUT AS THE GOVERNOR DESANTIS IS KIND OF A DE FACTO LEADER OF THE PARTY IN THE STATE. SO WE'LL SEE IF THEY END UP HAVING A I DON'T WANT TO PREDICT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO, BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD THIS SUMMIT AND THEN NOT HOLD A GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE OF CANDIDATES BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE MAIN EVENT, THE WHOLE SUM IT. ALL RIGHT.