Candidate for House speaker may find his Florida district redrawn

Reporting from TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The political careers of several members of Congress, including a Republican seeking to become the next U.S. House speaker, could come to an abrupt halt under a sweeping overhaul of Florida’s electoral map.

Florida Circuit Judge Terry Lewis on Friday recommended new boundaries for the state’s 27 congressional districts, some of which would make it nearly impossible for Rep. Daniel Webster to win reelection in his central Florida district. Webster is one of the hard-line conservatives who pushed Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio to resign as speaker and then turned on Boehner’s No. 2, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.

Lewis’ ruling caps a three-year legal battle over the state’s political landscape that has led to lawsuits, special sessions and judicial rulings. The Florida Supreme Court will have the final say, but the decision by Lewis is expected to carry weight because he has been involved with the legal dispute from the beginning.

Lewis’ recommended changes could lead to the ouster of Democratic Rep. Gwen Graham from her northern Florida seat while resurrecting the political career of former GOP Gov. Charlie Crist, who is expected to run for Congress as a Democrat. But one of the most dramatic changes would hurt Webster, who tried at the last minute to intervene in the ongoing lawsuit but was blocked by Lewis.