Ave Maria Will Be Part of Collier County Senate District Under Redistricting Plan

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Published on Saturday, 09 January 2016 20:28

A court-ordered redistricting plan for the Florida state senate will put the town of Ave Maria in the same district as the rest of Collier County.

Ave Maria has been part of a senate district that included a large swath of the Miami-Dade county area. The map was so peculiar that in 2009 State Senator Larcenia Bullard, whose son Dwight now holds the seat and represents Ave Maria, told the Ave Herald in an email that the town of Ave Maria was not in her district but in the district represented by Garrett Richter, which includes most of Collier County.

Mr. Richter is not running for re-election in 2016 because of term limits and the seat is being contested by at least three candidates – Matt Hudson, Kathleen Passidomo and Gary Price. Mr. Hudson and Ms. Passidomo currently are in the Florida statehouse and Mr. Hudson's house district includes Ave Maria and Immokalee.

The Naples Daily News reported that the state senate president, Andy Gardner, was reviewing the plan and had not decided whether or not to appeal it. The Florida legislature begins its session this month.

Below, top, the proposed senate district and below that the current district.