Double whammy for Florida Dems as DOJ, local court green light new maps

By Josh Lederman - 04/30/12 06:11 PM ET

The Department of Justice gave its approval Monday to Florida's new congressional map, while a circuit court rejected Democrats' injunction request — a double whammy for Democrats who argue the new map unfairly favors Republicans.

The Obama administration's pre-clearance was required under the Voting Rights Act, which requires that states with a history of racial discrimination have their maps approved to ensure that minorities are not denied proper representation.

"The Attorney General does not interpose any objection to the specific changes" to the maps, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez wrote Monday in a letter to members of Florida's state government.

Democrats are expected to gain a few seats under the new map, which includes two new districts created after the 2010 U.S. Census as a result of rapid population growth in Florida.

But Republicans will likely maintain the upper hand. Nineteen of the 27 members of the congressional delegation are Republicans in Florida, a state that had 600,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in 2010.

“The federal pre-clearance announced today, along with supportive decisions from the Florida Supreme Court, show what Republicans leaders have said all along: This year’s redistricting process has been both legal and fair for all constituencies," said Kristen McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Republican Party of Florida.

Democrats said the Justice Department's decision was not unexpected.

But in a further blow to Democrats, a circuit court rejected their request for the map to be invalidated on constitutional grounds. "Fair Districts" amendments to Florida's Constitution prohibit maps from favoring certain political parties — a requirement Democrats said the new map violated.

Democrats could still challenge the court's decision, but the state party said Monday it was still determining the next course of action.

"Last fall, Florida voters overwhelmingly demanded an end to partisan gerrymandering and incumbent protection," Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux said in a statement. "We remain concerned about elements of the map and we will continue to evaluate our legal options moving forward."