The Republican governor of Florida was called out for "race-baiting" as he seeks to redraw congressional maps to benefit GOP candidates.
"On the first day of Black History Month, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Florida Supreme Court if a Black congressman’s district was unconstitutional," the Tampa Bay Times reports.
DeSantis proposed his own congressional maps on the night before Martin Luther King Jr. Day in an effort the newspaper described as "a highly unusual move for a governor." At question is the 5th Congressional District, which is currently held by Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL).
"The north Florida district runs from Jacksonville to Gadsden County. The Republican-dominated Senate recently approved a map that largely keeps it intact. The Republican-dominated House also has proposed maps that do the same. The Supreme Court last decade also approved the map as constitutional," the newspaper reported.
But DeSantis has proposed a "redrawing of Lawson’s district so that it would contain more Republican voters and be more difficult for him to win re-election."
Lawson slammed DeSantis for the effort.
“He has a Napoleon complex,” Lawson said. “This is the first time we’ve ever seen the governor really drop a map before the Senate and the House, and especially when he dropped it on MLK week. It’s obvious that there’s some problem with the governor as related to communities of interest and I think that’s something he has to resolve himself.”
“It’s more race-baiting for election, because none of this is being taught in schools,” he explained. “To put fear into citizens — white citizens — is more race-baiting.”
Read the full report.
