Florida Republicans propose new congressional map

Republicans in the Florida state legislature have released new district lines aimed at satisfying a court-ordered redrawing of two House districts that, if passed, could give Democrats a better shot at knocking off Rep. Dan Webster (R-Fla.).

{mosads}The new proposed maps, which are similar to current lines, would make Webster’s Republican-leaning congressional district a bit more Democratic. The redraw would also shed parts of Rep. Corrine Brown’s (D-Fla.) heavily African-American district to make it more compact and slightly less Democratic-heavy, along with making minor changes to five nearby districts.

A judge has ruled that Republicans broke state law by drawing Webster’s and Brown’s districts last cycle to help shore up Webster politically. Republicans are looking to make as few changes as possible to keep Webster viable while aiming to not violate the state’s anti-gerrymandering laws.

Democrats will likely fight the new maps, though Republicans have the numbers to pass them. The legislature is likely to vote on the map on Friday.

Still, it’s unclear at this point whether the judge will find the new map suitable and whether it can be in place for this election. The judge could rule that it’s too close to the late August primary to decide them and potentially hold a special election.