A.G. Gancarski
Less than 24 hours after the House passed a controversial congressional reapportionment map that removed Jacksonville’s historic minority access district, Democrats derided the map and promised to fight it.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ map created 20 likely Republican seats out of 28 total in Florida, and one of the moves to make that happen was ending the current drawing of Florida’s 5th Congressional District, which spans to Gadsden County and is represented by Tallahassee Democrat Al Lawson. In its place: a new GOP-dominated district in which Nassau and Clay Counties hold 65% of the Primary electorate.
Democrats decried this drawing, led by two local legislators who were prominent in the floor protest of the map process Thursday.
Rep. Angie Nixon, who represents portions of Northern and Western Duval County in House District 14, offered fiery denunciations of the Governor and the map process.
“What we witnessed is a bully who continues to push policies because he doesn’t want to say ‘Black,'” Nixon said. “This Governor is really a racist. I won’t mince my words. He is a racist.”
Nixon mentioned the Governor’s move to sunset Disney’s special district in Central Florida, one agreed to by the Legislature this week along with the map, as evidence of how far DeSantis is willing to go.
“If they are willing to come after Disney, they are coming after you,” Nixon said.
Rep. Tracie Davis, who represents House District 13 currently and is running for state Senate, likewise blasted the “offensive” cartography.
“This map is not packing,” Davis said. “It is cracking. It is cracking, cracking, cracking Black voters.”
Other locals echoed these comments. One of them, Democrat L.J. Holloway, is running in the new district. She ran in the old CD 5 in previous cycles, losing each time in the Democratic Primary.
We asked if DeSantis’ decision to run up Republican margins in the state was anything like similar processes happening in Democratically controlled states, where Republicans are marginalized in those maps. Nixon and Davis rejected the premise.
“It’s apparent he’s more focused on becoming President of the United States as opposed to the real issues,” Nixon said.
“We have protections in place which this map and this Governor are ignoring completely,” Davis added, scorning the map as a “racial gerrymander.”
“He has no regard for the law. He didn’t follow the law,” Davis said.
Notable Republicans are eyeing a run in the new district, meanwhile. That includes Sen. Aaron Bean of Fernandina Beach and Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond, who represents the beach communities.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, meanwhile, has ruled out a 2022 congressional run, which would have required him to leave office early.
15 comments
True to word
April 22, 2022 at 12:45 pm
He’s a backwards southerner with a 600 word vocabulary
Frankie M.
April 22, 2022 at 12:46 pm
During the press conference I saw Lenny peaking out from behind his curtains up in his ivory tower. I thought he was gonna tell those pesky kids to get off his lawn. Newby gave the best Uncle Tom non-answer thus far.
Impeach Biden
April 22, 2022 at 12:48 pm
When you have nothing else as a Democrat, you pull out the race card. Yes, the United States of America is racist. The racist white people of America voted in a black man as President for two terms. Remember blacks make up roughly 13% of the US population so lots of racists had to vote for him. The Chief of Staff of the USAF, the highest ranking officer there, is a black man. We have a black woman as VP of the United States and the Secretary of State is black as well. We even have two black folks on the United States Supreme Court. Really over represented based on the percentages. I could go on and on and on. I’ll quit now and get back to work watching the company I work for bias training, telling my I’m a racist.
Raheim
April 22, 2022 at 1:07 pm
The fact you don’t understand how racist your comment is serves as a perfect example of why actual CRT should be taught.
Impeach Biden
April 22, 2022 at 1:10 pm
What is racist about it? Seriously, just laying out the facts but you continue to support Al Sharpton and all his cronies. That’s how they get paid by making you believe you live in a giant world of racists here in the United States.
Duke
April 23, 2022 at 7:02 am
CRT is racist And it mimics the KKK ideology in separating black from white when American fought to abolish the racism you want to bring it back, not good
NOT UR MAMA
April 24, 2022 at 9:40 pm
Let’s get to foundational information. Using skin color to describe another human being is racist. Speaking of and/or questioning behaviors based on skin color is racist. Using skin color as part of a the requirements to belong to and/or create any type of institution, group and/or academy’s / schools is racist. Yes people tend to be bias and racist when there’s a blockage in any agenda. That’s just seems to be a trait of the “HUMAN” race. Today I believe racism is brought up as a distraction maneuver instead of getting deeper and admitting a few things haven’t been going so well with the current agenda and its time to take a brave leap into intellectualism, pure logic contemplation, and bipartisanship because there isn’t anywhere else we need to go right now unless we want to continue crying wolf… we need to pull together tear down the walls stand up as a unity encouraging responsible hard change, leadership and durability because its a damn hard job that I don’t see many people doing. DeSantis has motivated me to vote again..
Verboto
April 23, 2022 at 6:31 pm
Yes, the country elected Obama but look at the backlash from Trump to this fake CRT issue! How many high black appointees did Trump do? None! McConnell was asked how many black staffers he has. He stammered and said we have had some.
Clarence Thomas seems to hate he is black and tries to distance himself with just about every ruling. Strange how you mention the “over representation” of black folks, but said nothing about Catholics. Why is that acceptable to you?
Waaaa Waaaa
April 22, 2022 at 5:47 pm
waaaaa waaaaa waaaaa keep crying Demobabys all the way to November
Verboto
April 23, 2022 at 6:32 pm
Yes, go backwards and taking away black people’s representation is a sign of progress! Not!
Comment
April 22, 2022 at 6:13 pm
Nixon is that the guy with the peace sign illegally spying on his constiuant
Frankie M.
April 22, 2022 at 6:33 pm
Typical response: We(read: I didn’t vote for him) had a black potus who may or may not have been born in the US. Followed by: I have a black friend/casual acquaintance/know somebody who’s black.
Hell hath no fury like a triggered middle-aged Caucasian male. Prime example #1 Ronnie D.
Conmac
April 23, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Factually. The district that had been occupied by Lawson was a totally illegal amalgamation of a very narrow band of small black populations stretched across 5 counties to artificially create a district entirely intended to elect a black representative. That is patently illegal and should have never been allowed and the elimination of that district will be totally upheld by the Supreme Court. Rights are intended for and guaranteed to individuals not groups of rioting heathens.
Verboto
April 23, 2022 at 6:34 pm
Why are you so hard on white people?
Comment
April 24, 2022 at 2:44 pm
I think is is time for less co depends all will have a say.not because we are smaller then other race we deserve more
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