Even with redistricting still up in the air, U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., could be facing two new opponents. Under the base map used by the Legislature earlier this month to draw up new congressional districts, Webster would face a far different district than he did in either of his past congressional elections. He currently represents parts of Orange and Polk counties and most of Lake County. Under the base map the Legislature is using for congressional redistricting, his new district would be far more Democratic, taking in only parts of Orange County and bringing in 150,000 voters -- more than 90,000 of them Democrats -- currently represented by U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla.
Webster testified before the joint legislative committee tackling redistricting in Tallahassee earlier in the month and tore into the base map.
“The new plan disfavors incumbents,” Webster told the committee. “An affirmative vote for this plan ... is a specific intent to disfavor me as an incumbent.”
The Republican congressman even insisted the base map “makes the seat uncompetitive for anyone in my party" and was built to “eliminate an incumbent.”
Webster has been in Florida politics since 1980 when he was first elected to the state House. A staunch conservative, he served longer in the Legislature than anyone else in Florida history, leading the GOP caucus in the House before becoming the first Republican speaker since Reconstruction after the 1996 elections.
After facing term limits in 1998, Webster moved on to the Senate. While he failed in his efforts to become Senate president, he did serve as Senate majority leader. Turning his eyes to federal office once he faced term limits in the Senate, Webster blew out U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., in 2010, but two years later, in a far better year for Democrats, he almost lost to former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings.
Webster’s been honored in his district and in Tallahassee with everything from a section of SR 429 to a room in the state Capitol named after him. But none of the maps advancing in the Legislature this week are helping his chances for a fourth term.
Democrats tried to recruit Demings to take on Webster in 2014 but she explored looking at county office instead. But earlier this month, Demings announced she would run against the Republican congressman again. In 2012, Webster beat Demings 52 percent to 48 percent.
Demings is not the only Democrat to jump in the race. Florida Sen. Geri Thompson, D-Orlando, also launched a bid against Webster earlier this month.
Now he could be facing two other Democratic challengers. Politico Florida reported at the end of last week that two other well-known Democrats are looking at the race: former Florida Democratic Party Chairman Bob Poe and former state Sen. Gary Siplin.
Poe chaired the Florida Democratic Party from the start of 2000 through the start of 2003, overseeing it during the 2000 presidential election. In recent elections, Poe worked with former Gov. Charlie Crist’s gubernatorial campaign last year. Poe is a volunteer fundraiser for former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Siplin was elected to the Florida House in 2000 before moving up to the state Senate in 2002. Facing term limits in 2012, Siplin tried a comeback last year but was routed by old foe Thompson in the Democratic primary.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
