Florida's newly approved congressional map to face first legal challenge over alleged partisan gerrymandering

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida’s new congressional map is set to face its first court challenge Friday as voting-rights groups and voters argue the redistricting plan violates the state constitution by favoring Republicans.

Lawsuit after approval

The backstory:

Several groups sued the state after lawmakers approved the new congressional map last month. 

The plan redraws the majority of Florida’s congressional districts, including 21 of the state’s 28 seats.

Opponents argue the changes could shift four congressional seats from Democrat to Republican and amount to an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.

"The court must strike down this unconstitutional map," said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation, during a virtual news conference Thursday. The organization is backing the plaintiffs in the case.

What they're saying:

"Florida's mid-decade gerrymander was rammed through in two days despite strong opposition, including from Republican members who raised concerns about compliance with the Constitution," Jenkins said. 

Concerns over Bay Area district splits

Jenkins also pointed to the impact the new map could have on voters in the Bay Area region.

"Tampa Bay is Florida's most politically balanced region. Yet the new map cracks the city of Tampa into three congressional districts, thereby eliminating a Democratic seat in the process," Jenkins said.

The other side:

State attorneys pushed back against the allegations in court filings, arguing there is what they described as "scant evidence" the map was drawn for partisan advantage.

Governor Ron DeSantis has also defended the redistricting plan.

"This is something we have been fighting for a number of years, and the fact that we’ve had so much population growth and the districts are really not representative of where Florida is today versus four years ago, so we have justification," DeSantis said in April.

National redistricting fight

Big picture view:

The Florida case is part of a broader national battle over congressional redistricting ahead of future elections.

At least eight states, including California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, have already approved new congressional maps. 

Several states are also facing ongoing legal disputes over how those districts were drawn.

What's next:

A judge in Leon County is expected to hear arguments Friday as plaintiffs seek to block Florida’s new congressional map from taking effect.

The case is one of three lawsuits currently filed against the state over the redistricting plan.