#fl03

Brown’s district is an important one in the debate over gerrymandering because it highlights a racial divide in the state. A federal court initially created District 3 to address issues of racial discrimination, and Brown freely admits that her election was aided in large part by the state’s adherence to the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits fracturing communities of minority voters among numerous districts. # Brown and fellow Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, are currently waging a war to fight the implementation of the Fair Districts amendments and have sued to block Amendment 6 from taking effect. Brown and Diaz-Balart say they give a voice to under-represented communities, but critics say the lawmakers are only interested in protecting their incumbency. #

The 8th Congressional District, which covers much of eastern Marion, is 16 percent higher than it should be. The 5th Congressional District, which encompasses western Marion to include Dunnellon and Rainbow Lakes Estates, is among the largest districts in the country and, with a population of almost 930,000, is 33 percent larger than it should be. Rep. Corrine Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat who represents the 3rd Congressional District, was the only local lawmaker to have an underpopulated area.