TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Republican state representative from Central Florida used a vulgar, not-safe-for-work expletive in a recent email to a constituent who'd criticized him for an expected vote in favor of redrawing congressional districts.

“As much as I want to tell you to “go f— yourself”, I won’t,” state Rep. David Smith, whose district includes part of Seminole County, told Casselberry resident Greg Loftus.

“After my 30-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, no one needs to remind me of any oath I’ve taken,” Smith wrote. “If you’ve got a problem with any redistricting legislation pending before the House, you are free to send me input, but don’t tell me how to do my job.”

The exchange startled Loftus, who this month shared the correspondence with the Orlando Sentinel. But Smith, who lives in Winter Springs, didn’t apologize for the sort of obscene language constituents rarely get from their elected officials, calling Loftus “belligerent” in his own remarks.

The contretemps began when Loftus sent Smith an email in November admonishing him to “remember the promise you made to your constituents” in drawing political districts that don’t favor one party over another.

He was referring to the Fair Districts ballot initiative, approved by 63% of Florida voters in 2010 to take the politics out of redrawing congressional and legislative district boundaries.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature have been talking about redrawing congressional districts this year to give the GOP an even larger majority than it has, as President Donald Trump has urged.

DeSantis has called for a special session in April on redistricting, but so far neither he nor the Legislature has come up with a plan despite two hearings in the House on the subject. Smith said he has not taken a position on the issue since there is no proposal yet to review.

“I don’t expect bravery, honor or honesty from you. I expect the worst behavior from you. I expect you to deny your oath of office. I expect you to commit treason. I expect you to put your pocket book and party first,” Loftus said in his Nov. 19 email to Smith.

“I still hope you do the right thing and demand that your party enforces the will of the voters and ends your illegal gerrymander,” Loftus said. “But I won’t hold my breath.”

In an interview at the Capitol on Wednesday, Smith said he had run out of patience with Loftus, whom he described as a “nut job” who has repeatedly badgered him “on these outlier issues.”

“He was belligerent and rude and I got offended,” Smith said before going into a meeting in his office. “I was trying not to be rude to the guy but after awhile ….”

Smith, in his fourth and last two-year term as a state representative, said he has tried to help constituents understand the legislative process, but some folks never get it.

“I spend a lot of time trying to educate people how to effectively advocate for their causes and make people understand how a bill becomes law,” Smith said. “But I am not responding to someone whose understanding of the process seems to be at an eighth-grade civics class level.”

Loftus, who says he frequently writes to all his elected state officials, was surprised by Smith’s “use of verbal abuse” in the email, which the lawmaker copied to members of his staff.

But Loftus said he was more upset that Smith scolded him for telling him how to do his job.

“My representative told me to not tell him how to represent my interests. Can you imagine?” he said.

Despite the rude brush-off, Loftus said, he will continue to write to Smith “no matter how it upsets him.”

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