An examination of redistricting in Collier County, Fla.

1. A presentation to the Florida Collier County Democratic Party by
The Paradise Progressive.
May 11, 2022
© 2022 by David Silverberg

2. This presentation will focus only on Collier County districts
It will not endorse candidates
Slides will be available at:
Slideshare.net
ParadiseProgressive.com
TheParadiseProgressive.home.blog
Redistricting and You

3. ∗ The goal: Help you know what
government districts you’re in for this
year’s election
∗ Part 1: Describing the districts
∗ Part 2: Analysis, evaluation, commentary
Redistricting and You

4. ∗ Districts:
∗ Congress
∗ Florida State Senate
∗ Florida State House
∗ Collier County Commission
∗ Collier County School Board
Redistricting and You

5. ∗ After every Census districts are re-drawn
∗ The goal of redistricting is to create districts of equal
population
∗ Congressional: 769,221
∗ Florida Senate: 538,451
∗ Florida House: 179,485
∗ In Florida districts must adhere to the Fair Districts
Amendments and be fair, equal, use existing boundaries as
much as possible, be non-racial and non-partisan.
A quick re-cap:
The redistricting process

6. ∗ Redistricting maps were open to the public – anyone
could submit one
∗ Florida House and Senate passed their own maps and
a congressional map
∗ DeSantis submitted his own congressional map
∗ State House and Senate maps were passed, DeSantis
vetoed legislature’s congressional map
∗ Legislature passed DeSantis’ second map
A quick re-cap:
The redistricting process

7. ∗ DeSantis congressional map is one of the most – if
not the most – aggressively partisan in the country
∗ 20 Republican districts to 8 Democratic
∗ It is being challenged in court
∗ Meanwhile, all other maps are approved and settled
Where we stand now

8. ∗ Collier County is split between the 19th and 25th
congressional districts
∗ In the new map it will be split between the 19th and a
newly-renumbered 26th
Incumbents:
∗ Rep. Byron Donalds (R): 19th
∗ Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R): 26th
Collier County and Congress

9. Congress: The old 19th

10. The old 19th in Collier County
• From county line to
Goodland
• Boundary was
Livingston Rd., down
to Rt. 41

11. The new 19th in Collier County
∗ New district line runs along
Rt. 75 except for small
extension to Santa Barbara
Blvd. starting at Vanderbilt
Rd. to south of Golden Gate
Pkwy.
∗ It now encompasses Village
Walk, Livingston Walk,
Wyndemere and parts of
Golden Gate.

12. The old 25th
• In Collier County ran
from Livingston Rd.
east and included
Golden Gate,
Immokalee and Ave
Maria
• Main population was
in the east in Hialeah
and Doral

13. The new 26th

14. The new 26th in Collier County
∗ Largely the same
∗ Includes Golden Gate and
Ave Maria
∗ Splits Immokalee in half
with new 18th District

15. State Senate District 28
in Collier County
∗ All of Collier County is in
State Senate District 28
∗ Incumbent: State Sen.
Kathleen Passidomo (R)

16. The old 106th Florida House District
∗ District stretched along
the Gulf coast from
Bonita Beach Road in Lee
County to Naples to
Everglades City and
Chokaloskee along Rt. 41.
∗ Incumbent: Rep. Bob
Rommel (R)

17. The new 80th and 81st Florida House
districts
∗ The new 80th runs along
the coast from the Lee
County-Charlotte County
line in the north to
Immokalee Rd. in Collier
County in the south.
∗ The new 81st runs along the
coast from Immokalee Rd.
to Marco Island and includes
Naples.

18. The 80th District in Collier County
∗ From the Lee County line
to Immokalee Rd.
∗ Slight chunk east of Rt. 75
as far east as Collier Blvd.
and as far south as
Vanderbilt Rd.

19. Florida House old 105th District and
new 82nd
The old 105th The new 82nd

20. Collier County Commission Districts
• District 2: From county
line to Pine Ridge Rd.
and east to Logan Blvd.
and Rt. 75
• District 4: From Pine
Ridge Rd. to Rattlesnake
Hammock Rd. and
includes City of Naples
District 2 and District 4 are
up for election this year.

21. Collier County School Board Districts
∗ District 1:
∗ Lely Elementary & High
∗ Manatee Elementary & Middle
∗ Parkside Elementary
∗ Shadowlawn Elementary
∗ Tommie Barfield Elementary
∗ District 3:
∗ Calusa Park Elementary
∗ Golden Gate
∗ Elementary, Middle, High
∗ Golden Terrace Elementary
∗ Gulf Coast High
∗ Laurel Oak Elementary
∗ Mike Davis Elementary
∗ Oakridge Middle
∗ Vineyards Elementary
∗ District 5
∗ Bethune Education Center
∗ Big Cypress Elementary
∗ Corkscrew Elementary & Middle
∗ Cypress Palm Middle
∗ Eden Park Elementary
∗ Estates Elementary
∗ Everglades City School
∗ Highlands Elementary
∗ Immokalee
∗ Middle, High, Technical Center
∗ Lake Trafford Elementary
∗ Palmetto
∗ Elementary, High
∗ Palmetto Ridge High
∗ Pinecrest Elementary
∗ Sabal Palm Elementary
∗ Village Oaks Elementary
School districts are determined by schools rather than a geographic
map. Three districts are up for election this year.

22. What does it
all mean?
Part II

23. DeSantis’ first map was very radical
for SWFL
∗ Lee County became its
own congressional
district, the 19th.
∗ Collier County was
absorbed into a new 21st
District that included
Hialeah to the east.

24. DeSantis’ second map made fewer
changes in SWFL
∗ Largely kept the existing
borders of the 19th and
the 25th.

25. Why this extension of the new 19th?
∗ Goes from Vanderbilt
Beach Road to Golden
Gate Parkway, Rt. 75 and
south.

26. The old 19th border ran along
Livingston Rd.
• Byron Donalds lived
outside the 19th District he
represented (required to
live in state). X marks
approximate location.
• First DeSantis map would
have put him far from new
19th in Lee County.
• This set up a potential
Donalds vs. Diaz-Balart
Republican primary.

27. Theory: The 19th now extends to include
Rep. Byron Donalds’ address
• Instead of Donalds
moving into the district,
the district has moved to
him.
• He’s no longer outside
the district he represents.
• There’s no danger of a
primary contest between
Republican incumbents.

28. The splitting of Immokalee
∗ The town of Immokalee is
now split between the
26th and the 18th
congressional districts
along North 15th St., and
State Road 845.

29. The splitting of Immokalee
• Diaz-Balart would occasionally visit
• In last appropriations bill he
requested a $987,000 earmark for
sidewalk improvements and
drainage
• Now the town is
likely to be
neglected by
representatives
from both the 18th
and 26th districts.

30. Collier County Commission
∗ Districts 2 and 4 are up for
election
∗ In District 2, incumbent Andy
Solis is not running again
∗ Alfie Oakes has endorsed Chris
Hall for this seat
∗ In District 4, incumbent Penny
Taylor is running for re-election
∗ Alfie Oakes has endorsed Daniel
Kowal

31. Collier County Commission
∗ Over the past two years
there have been repeated 3-
2 votes on critical issues.
∗ COVID precautions
∗ Nullifying federal law
∗ A bad change in District 2
could wreak havoc on an
otherwise stable and well-
run county

32. ∗ District 1
∗ Incumbent: Jory Westberry
∗ Alfie Oakes endorsed: Jerry Rutherford
∗ District 3
∗ Incumbent: Jen Mitchell (Chair)
∗ Alfie Oakes endorsed: Kelly Lichter
∗ District 5
∗ Incumbent: Roy Terry
∗ Alfie Oakes endorsed: Tim Moshier
Collier County School Board
Education has been a hot-button culture war issue over the past two
years

33. Why are local elections especially
important this year?
“We’re taking
this back village
by village.”
--Steve Bannon

34. Democracy is on the line everywhere
“You can’t think
of the global and
close your eyes
to the details.”
-- Volodomyr Zelensky

35. ∗Get active
∗Get moving
∗Get out the vote
VOTE!
It’s up to you