A Florida state court is set to hear arguments Friday on whether new U.S. House districts signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis violate a state constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering approved by voters in 2010.
Lawsuits filed on behalf of voters in Leon County seek a temporary injunction against the redrawn map, arguing it breaches provisions that prohibit drawing congressional districts with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party. Republicans currently hold 20 of Florida's 28 U.S. House seats.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic groups and voting rights advocates argue the new map represents an overreach of partisan power that undermines the will of Florida voters who approved anti-gerrymandering protections 15 years ago.
"The plan takes the state's partisan skew to an unprecedented extreme," one of three lawsuits filed in Leon County stated, according to court documents cited by ABC News.
The lawsuits focus heavily on political favoritism and argue the new districts would improve Republican chances of winning four additional seats in November elections. Florida voters approved a state constitutional amendment in 2010 that prohibits U.S. House districts from being drawn with intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.
The 2010 amendment also bars districts from diminishing the ability of racial or language minorities to elect representatives of their choice, and requires districts to be compact and use existing political and geographic boundaries where feasible.
What the Right Is Saying
Attorneys representing the Florida Senate filed legal briefs arguing that partisan intent has not been proven and a temporary injunction against the new districts is not appropriate in advance of a fully developed trial.
DeSantis' office has defended the map, saying no racial data was used to prepare it. In a memo to lawmakers, DeSantis' General Counsel David Axelman asserted that Florida's constitutional provision about racial redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution.
Axelman wrote that if one element of the 2010 amendment is invalid, then the entire amendment would be void, including provisions barring partisan gerrymandering.
The governor's office has argued the new districts are necessary to comply with evolving federal standards following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision weakening Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts.
What the Numbers Show
Republicans currently hold 20 of Florida's 28 U.S. House seats, giving them a significant majority in the state's congressional delegation.
The new map approved by the Legislature on April 29 could improve Republican chances of winning four additional seats in November elections.
Nationally, Republicans believe they could gain as many as 15 seats from new House maps across Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama after Trump urged mid-decade redistricting. Democrats think they could gain six seats from new maps in California and Utah.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that it has no authority to decide whether partisan gerrymandering goes too far but said such claims could continue to be decided in state courts under their own constitutions and laws.
The Bottom Line
Friday's hearing marks the first judicial test of Florida's new congressional districts ahead of November elections. A ruling blocking the map would create significant uncertainty for both parties as they finalize campaign strategies.
The case hinges on whether courts find partisan intent in drawing the new boundaries, which were approved during a two-day special legislative session called by DeSantis following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts.
Regardless of Friday's outcome, full trials on the merits of the lawsuits are expected to continue, potentially extending legal challenges beyond this year's elections.