ORLANDO, Fla. — State Rep. Geraldine Thompson is no stranger to the Florida Legislature.

The Democratic state lawmaker served in the Florida Senate 2012 to 2016 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2012.

Now, Thompson is in the House of Representatives once again, serving Florida’s 44th district, which encompasses communities in Orange County.

Thompson talked to Political Connections’ Ybeth Bruzual about her return to the state’s legislature, and how she flipped the GOP-leaning District 44 this midterm election.

She credited a new map after the 2012 census.

“We went through redistricting. We had an extensive court battle, and we got new maps in 2015. So now rather than having a district that is so slanted toward Republicans, it's almost balanced. We have 45,000 registered Republicans 41,000 registered Democrats, and 40,000 no party affiliation,” Thompson explained.

Bruzual also asked Thompson how she connected with a key political group: Independents.

"I courted the Democrats during the primary, and I got 60 percent of the vote ... then I switched my attention to exclusively courting no party affiliates, and they've made the difference," Thompson said. 

Watch Political Connections every Sunday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Spectrum News 13.