Florida's 3rd congressional district

Florida's 3rd congressional district
Florida's third congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Current Representative Ted Yoho (RGainesville)
Cook PVI R+12

The Third Congressional District of Florida is an electoral district of the United States House of Representatives located in the U.S. state of Florida. It presently comprises a large section of northernmost Florida, including the entire counties of Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Union, along with the majority of Alachua and Clay counties, half of Madison county, and a section of Marion county. The city of Lake City is in the district, as well as the western half of Gainesville, and the western suburbs of Ocala.

Redistricting in Florida, effective for the 2012 federal elections, radically altered the nature of the 3rd District. From 1993 through 2012 the district called the 3rd District comprised an entirely different territory, roughly similar to the 5th District as of 2013. Likewise the present territory of the new 3rd District, as of the 2012 elections, is made up of parts of the former 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th districts, though it is geographically similar to the pre-2013 6th district. The former 3rd District was (and present 5th District is) an intentionally gerrymandered territory designed to unite disparate areas of northeastern Florida with significant African-American populations into a black-majority district, and was overwhelmingly Democratic in voting patterns. The new 3rd District has a majority white population, largely in rural areas and small towns, and is solidly Republican.

The new 3rd District is represented by Republican Ted Yoho, elected on November 6, 2012, and taking office on January 3, 2013. The old 3rd District was represented from 1993 through 2012 by Corrine Brown, who was elected to the similar new 5th District in the November 2012 elections.

The 1993–2012 black majority district

The old 3rd district was a gerrymandered congressional district. The district included portions of Alachua, Clay, Duval, Lake, Marion, Orange, Putnam, Seminole, and Volusia counties.

History

While Florida has had at least three congressional districts since the 1900 U.S. Census, the 1993–2012 3rd Congressional District dates to reapportionment done by the Florida Legislature after the 1990 U.S. Census. Because Florida has a large population of African Americans, but not a large enough concentration anywhere in the state to easily configure a congressional district with a majority, there were several attempts to create a few gerrymandered districts which were certain to elect an African American candidate. This created an odd coalition of black Democrats and Republicans who supported such districts (since this not only created black-majority districts, but also made "safer" Republican districts elsewhere). This effort was opposed by many white Democrats, but eventually this idea won the support of the state legislature and this district was created as a result.[1]

The 1993–2012 3rd Congressional District was geographically diverse. Starting from the southern part of the district, it included the Pine Hills area of the Orlando-Kissimmee Metropolitan Area with small pockets of African-American neighborhoods in the cities of Sanford, Gainesville, Palatka, and finally the larger African American communities of Jacksonville. Connecting these areas were regions which are sparsely populated—either expansive rural areas or narrow strips which are only a few miles wide. Barack Obama received 73% of the vote in this district in the 2008 Presidential election.

Voting

Election results from presidential races
Year Office Results
1992 President Clinton 52–34%
1996 President Clinton 61–33%
2000 President Gore 60–38%
2004 President Kerry 65–35%
2008 President Obama 73–26%

Voter registration

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of January 3, 2012
Party Voters Percentage
Republican 69,212 19.76%
Democratic 218,371 62.35%
No Party Affiliation 54,531 15.57%

List of representatives

Representative Party Years District home Notes
District created March 4, 1903
William B. Lamar Democratic March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909
Dannite H. Mays Democratic March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1913
Emmett Wilson Democratic March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1917
Walter Kehoe Democratic March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1919
John H. Smithwick Democratic March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1927
Tom A. Yon Democratic March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1933
Millard F. Caldwell Democratic March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1941
Robert L. F. Sikes Democratic January 3, 1941 – October 19, 1944 Resigned to enter US Army
Vacant until next Congress October 19, 1944 – January 3, 1945
Robert L. F. Sikes Democratic January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1963 Redistricted to the 1st district
Claude Pepper Democratic January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1967 Redistricted to the 11th district
Charles E. Bennett Democratic January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1993 Redistricted from the 2nd district
Corrine Brown Democratic January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013 Redistricted to the 5th district
Ted Yoho Republican January 3, 2013 – present

Election results

2002

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2002)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Corrine Brown* 88,462 59.29
Republican Jennifer Carroll 60,747 40.71
Total votes 149,209 100.00
Voter turnout %
Democratic hold

2004

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2004)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Corrine Brown* 172,833 99.24
No party Others 1,323 0.76%
Total votes 174,156 100.00
Voter turnout %
Democratic hold

2006

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2006)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Corrine Brown* ' 100.00
Total votes ' 100.00
Voter turnout %
Democratic hold

2008

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2008)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Corrine Brown* ' 100.00
Total votes ' 100.00
Voter turnout %
Democratic hold

2010

Florida's 3rd Congressional District Election (2010)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Corrine Brown* 94,744 63.04
Republican Mike Yost 50,932 33.89
Independent Terry Martin-Back 4,625 3.08
Total votes 150,301 100.00
Voter turnout %
Democratic hold

Historical district boundaries

2003 - 2013


Living former Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 3rd congressional district

As of May 2015, there is one former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 3rd congressional district who is currently living at this time.

Representative Term in office Date of birth (and age)
Corrine Brown 1993–2003 November 11, 1946

References

  1. Leary, Alex (14 May 2011). "Democrat U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown again aligns with GOP in Florida redistricting battle". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 August 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 29°50′05″N 82°44′09″W / 29.83472°N 82.73583°W / 29.83472; -82.73583

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