TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s growing population is expanding the state’s influence on Capitol Hill and in presidential politics.
The state picked up one more seat for a total of 28 in the U.S. House of Representatives and 30 Electoral College votes.
U.S. Census Bureau figures released Monday show Florida gained more than 2.7 million residents since the last once-a-decade count in 2010, boosting its population to 21.5 million.
It is the nation’s third most populous state, behind California and Texas. The expectation of an additional seat has already triggered a flurry of political speculation as a redistricting panel gets ready to carve out new congressional and state legislative boundaries.
