Redistricting 101

The above image shows Columbia University law student Nicholas Ortiz' proposed redistricting for Florida. Click here to download a map of current Florida districts.

When congressional district lines get redrawn next January based on the 2010 Census data, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, and Sen. President Pro-tempore Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, could end up facing each other in the 2012 election. That would be the situation for the two power-brokers if the new boundary lines end up looking like what Columbia University law student Nicholas Ortiz has proposed.

Juris Doctorate candidate Ortiz recently finished the onerous congressional redistricting task that Florida lawmakers just began. The work is based largely on the 2010 U.S. Census population for Florida of roughly 18.8 million. Ortiz's challenge was to draw 27 districts instead of the current 25, each with the same population of about 696,345.