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TALLAHASSEE — For the last year, Broward Democratic Rep. Marty Kiar planned to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Nan Rich of Weston.
But when the Senate released its redistricting maps in November, the Davie lawmaker was faced with a choice: Run in a district based primarily in Palm Beach County, stay in his safe House district for two more years, or run in an open county commission district.
He chose to stay home and run for county commission. "It's a nice time to be with my 21/2-year old, my new baby and my wife,'' Kiar said, adding, "I've always wanted to serve for local office."
Kiar is among a growing list of legislators deciding to move to new posts as Florida lawmakers complete their redistricting maps under new rules imposed by two constitutional amendments.
The Republican-dominated House voted 80-39 along party lines Thursday to give preliminary approval to three redistricting maps that they say are drawn to new anti-gerrymandering standards created by the Fair Districts amendments approved by voters.
The amendments prohibit lawmakers — for the first time in Florida history — from drawing the districts with any intent to protect incumbents or political parties, and the results have shaken up the political landscape from Tallahassee to Jacksonville and from St. Petersburg to Miami.
The disruption, however, is most apparent in the House, where 38 of the chamber's 120 incumbents have been drawn into districts with another member. Senate and Congressional maps, by contrast, don't appear to threaten to end the political careers of any incumbents.
In the House:
• Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, who has two years left on his term, is now considering running for an open seat on the Broward County Commission rather than challenge Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach.
• Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, had hoped to run for Congress but is now considering running for the New Port Richey House seat he once held.
• Rep. Larry Ahern, R-St. Petersburg, is considering moving to a neighboring district to avoid being matched up with two other St. Petersburg legislators, Rick Kriseman and Jim Frishe. Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, is considering running for mayor of St. Petersburg.
• Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, is drawn into the same district as Rep. Scott Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, and has decided to rent an apartment in a neighboring district and run there.
Jenne, the fourth most senior member of the Democratic caucus who has been the Democratic whip for the last five years, was not surprised, he said, when House Republican leaders drew him out of his current district.
"I take it as a compliment,'' Jenne said. "It means I've caused a little bit of trouble over the last six years."
The district he has held went from including 140,000 people he has served for five years to 1,500 and was shifted from mostly Broward County to one that is 60 percent in Miami-Dade County.
As the House took its first vote in the proposed redistricting maps Thursday, redistricting chairman Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said the match-ups are proof that legislators draw the maps with no attempt to protect political parties or incumbents.
By contrast, Kiar said, the Senate maps don't appear to be as blind to incumbency protection.
"I think the Senate maps are probably going to change a whole lot,'' he said. "This was an initial shot to protect every single incumbent Democrat and Republican, and I think once the courts take a look at that they will ask them to draw them more fairly.''
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