Politico vows to 'not screw it up'

The oddity of congressional redistricting, through years of party-line battles, was on full display in Sarasota recently when U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee, spoke to a room full of business leaders.

Rooney is now the congressman for the southern half of Sarasota County, an area that includes Venice and North Port, even though he lives 110 miles away. The newly configured 17th district held by Rooney stretches from Venice to part of Polk County in the north and part of Glades County in the south, and it touches eight counties in total. U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, was booted from the bottom half of Sarasota County in redistricting but he continues to represent northern Sarasota County and all of Manatee County. That's now the 16th district.

This leaves Rooney representing a group of people who not only didn't elect him, but know little about him. Rooney was the keynote speaker at a Jan. 21 luncheon hosted by the Argus Foundation, a Sarasota-based pro-business group. “I know a lot of you are scratching your heads wondering who is this guy who grew up in Palm Beach Gardens?” Rooney told the crowd. “And why is he standing at our lunch claiming to be a new representative for our county?”