The Florida Supreme Court approval of new congressional maps will affect District 26, where
freshman U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo now has a real battle on his hands.
Curbelo was elected last year against one-term Congressman Joe Garcia, who had a cloud hanging over his head about absentee ballot fraud just as former Congressman David Rivera had rumored investigations into his campaign finance activities when Garcia won.
But instead of a new scandal in 2016 — although there is still time — it looks like the wrench in this election is going to be new district boundaries, approved 5-2 by the highest court in the Sunshine State Wednesday, that make FL26 bluer than it was two years prior. While the changes also affect Congresswomen Ileana Ros Lehtinen and Federica Wilson (who has already threatened a lawsuit), Curbelo was seen as far more vulnerable even before the redistricting and this could be a game changer.
That’s good news for Annette Taddeo, the former chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party who resigned to run as LG on the ballot last year with Charlie Crist‘s gubernatorial bid. Taddeo has lost two elections before that — once for county commission (against Lynda Bell) and another time for Congress, but against Ros-Lehtinen.
Read related story: As expected, Annette Taddeo makes Congress her fourth try
Is the Supreme Court her fairy godmother? Will redistricting make the difference this time?
Putting all of Homestead in the district, rather than cut it in half, will help 
any Democrat who runs for this seat.
“We didn’t know how the maps would go. It could have gone the other way,” said Shaun Daniels, Taddeo’s campaign manager. “But it’s a fairly sizeable change in composition in our favor.”
He said it won’t change the direction or strategy of their campaign, however, just their mailing list.
Curbelo can’t be thrilled. This was already a swing district that gave Obama nearly a 12 point lead in 2012 and Crist a 7-point lead last year. And we were already in a presidential year that turns out more Dems — this time with the likely excitement of a Hillary Clinton-topped ticket.
But he isn’t crying in his cortadito, either.
By no means does this make the race a slam dunk for Taddeo. Not only is she a three-time loser who does not connect with voters but the Republican candidate is actually so bipartisan, some call him a RINO. In other words, Democrats may not feel so bad voting for a Republican Lite incumbent with progressive views on immigration, gay marriage and climate change.
Read related story: Is Carlos Curbelo a closet Democrat in disguise?
Also, she’s been kind of low-key. Yeah, she’s apparently got some support growing in D.C. but the people vote here and it’s not certain she is making in roads with them. All we get are her desperate emails for contributions. The latest Wednesday night used the redistricting as bait.
“This is amazing news for us, but this race is NOT going to be easy,” the email states.
Meanwhile, Curbelo is getting face time with the mayors of Homestead and Florida City, both of whom are Democrat, and penning op-ed pieces on reforming the Cuban Adjustment Act in The Miami Herald.
No matter what, this new map makes District 26, which has been a nationally watched race for at least a decade, even more of an interesting contest. But make no mistake, this is as partisan as the first round of map drawing. The Supreme Court is stacked with Democrats, after all, isn’t it? Everyone knew they would be partial to those maps.
But maybe that’s poetic justice — just desserts for Republicans who tried to manipulate the process.
Congressional maps decision helps Annette Taddeo added by Ladra on
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