Florida will gain two more congressional seats after the latest census data showed an increase in population, giving it even more influence as a swing state in presidential elections.
Set to jump up to 27 electoral votes, the Sunshine State will be tied with New York, which will lose two seats. California will stay the biggest with 53 seats, and Texas will increase to 36.
“Florida’s clout among our country’s 49 other states continues to rise,” said State Senate President Mike Haridopolos in a statement on the census. “Our state will be tied for the third largest congressional delegation in the country with 27 members of Congress.”
However, these changes in the legislature will most likely have little effect on North Central Florida. Experts say new congressional districts will most likely be drawn in Central and South Florida, which had faster population growth rates over the last decade.
The House Office of Reapportionment has created MyFloridaCensus at www.myfloridacensus.gov to allow the public to propose district changes.
UF political science professor Leslie Thiele believes the website is good for public input but hopes that information collected will be handled responsibly.
“Any system for getting that input can be manipulated,” said Thiele.
Districts are estimated to be drawn in about a year and a half, but Florida will gain two congressional seats for the 2012 general election.
