Norman Reacts to Proposed New State Senate District

State Sen. Jim Norman has mixed feelings about a proposal to change his district’s boundaries.

Under the , Norman’s District 12 would no longer cover New Tampa and Temple Terrace in Hillsborough County. It would pick up more of the Westchase area and retain coverage of Carrollwood.

In Pasco County, where Norman enjoys a strong supporting base, he would pick up a larger territory. The proposal calls for extending District 12 through Zephyrhills, which means he would cover all of Central Pasco and most of East Pasco, as well.

During a phone interview Dec. 6, Norman said he has mixed feelings about the proposed changes to his district.

The state’s senate is currently in the process of redistricting to make sure its districts reflect the population figures released in the 2010 U.S. Census. Thanks to growth in Norman’s district, his boundaries had to be changed to shed an estimated 60,000 voters, he said.

The Additions are Welcomed

Norman, R-Tampa, said he’s pleased with the communities that would fall under his representation if the redistricting plan is approved by the senate.

“I have a passion for Pasco,” he said. “Maybe that’s why I got a lot of it.” He’s also very pleased the proposed map includes a greater portion of the Westchase area.

During his terms on the Hillsborough County Commission, Norman spent a lot of time working in both Westchase and Citrus Park, especially during the development of the Westfield Citrus Park mall. Being able to represent more of Northwest Hillsborough, he said, is a real plus to the plan.

New Tampa, Temple Terrace Will be Missed

Norman isn’t entirely happy with the proposal, however. Under the plan, both New Tampa and Temple Terrace will shift into senate District 10, which is represented by state Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon.

“I’ve served all of Hillsborough County for a long, long time,” he said. “There’s a lot of history there. I’ve got a kinship there.”

Norman said he’s looking into ways to possibly get the lines moved so he would retain representation of New Tampa and the University of South Florida area at least. In a perfect world, he said, Fowler Avenue would be a dividing line in his district.

“I would love to have New Tampa back,” he said. “It’s not just New Tampa. I had a lot working with the USF area to try and bring that back.”

Responding to Naysayers

While Norman says he’s not entirely unhappy with the new district lines, he is upset with allegations that he might benefit politically from the shift. The inclusion of a larger portion of Pasco does put him in a stronger Republican base, which a Tampa Tribune article pointed out.

“I didn’t even serve on the (reapportionment) committee,” Norman said. “I never gave input or anything like that. How far can you leap to try to make an issue that’s not an issue?”

The Florida Senate will take up the proposed redistricting map when it returns to session Jan. 10.

For a complete look at the Florida Senate's redistricting proposal, visit the senate's website.