Backed up by the League of Women Voters, a Republican challenger to state Sen. Andy Gardiner charges that a "gerrymandered" new district map favors the incumbent in violation of the state Constitution.
"There is a 'back alley' that is used to attain parts of Winter Park into District 10. The incumbent living in Winter Park obviously wants to 'pinch in' his home address to acquire certain voters," said Ron Rushing, who is seeking to unseat Gardiner, R-Orlando, this year.
Fair Districts amendments to the Florida Constitution stipulate that legislative and congressional maps be "compact" and "contiguous" while adhering as far as possible to existing municipal boundaries.
Rushing says SD 10 fails those tests on at least two counts.
He said a "back alley of less than 2,000 linear feet" used to connect Winter Park and Windermere raised red flags.
"This is the smallest 'back alley' in Central Florida for one of the largest districts in Central Florida," Rushing observed.
As for respecting community boundaries, Rushing points out that half of the city of Winter Garden would be in District 10 and half would be in a neighboring district.
"Winter Garden is not that big of a town. I believe this to be a blatant attempt to favor an incumbent that lives in Winter Park," said Rushing, who lives in Windermere.
Gardiner, the Senate majority leader, sits on the legislative Reapportionment Committee -- which raised more suspicions with Rushing.
"The Reapportionment Committee submitted this map, not a citizen of Florida," Rushing said.
Rushing isn't the only one complaining about the look of SD 10.
The Florida League of Women Voters and two other groups, in a Jan. 26 letter, alleged that the district was "gerrymandered into a bizarre shape for Senate Majority Leader Gardiner."
"His old district had been trending more Democratic, and his new district is safely Republican. It takes up parts of Lake and western Orange counties but has a hand that winds down around Orlando, extending up into Winter Park, catching the majority leaders residence on its way.
"In order to include the northeastern part of Orange, it narrows at one point so that its boundaries almost touch each other. In doing this, the Senate was able to give Gardiner a new, safer seat that is solidly Republican.
"The Senates new District 10 also barely misses incumbent Republican David Simmons new District 13, preventing two incumbent Republicans from being pitted against one another and preserving safe Republican seats for each of them," the letter stated.
The letter, sent to House Redistricting Chairman Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, was signed by LWV Florida president Deirdre Macnab; Eric Rodriguez of the National Council of La Raza; and Peter Butzin, of Common Cause of Florida.
Macnab said they have received no response to their letter, and Gardiner did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Sunshine State News.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos, who appointed the 27 members of the Senate reapportionment panel, said his chamber would convene at 3:30 p.m. Thursday to consider the latest versions of the maps.
Reach Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
