Judge weighs constitutionality of Florida’s new congressional district map

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The future of Florida’s new congressional map is now in the hands of a Leon County judge after attorneys for voting rights groups and the state squared off in court over whether the redistricting plan is unconstitutional.

Lawsuit challenges newly approved districts

The backstory:

Several groups sued the state after lawmakers passed the new congressional map last month. The plan redraws 21 of Florida’s 28 congressional districts and could potentially shift four congressional seats from Democrat to Republican.

The legal battle is part of a broader national fight over congressional redistricting between Republican-led and Democratic-led states ahead of future elections.

Plaintiffs argued in court Friday that Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature violated the state constitution’s ban on drawing districts to favor a political party.

Tampa, Orlando districts at center of debate

Attorneys on both sides also focused heavily on the impact the new map could have on the Bay Area region.

"If we look at the cities of Tampa and Orlando, the map drawer admitted that they're the only two large cities in the entire state which are split into three pieces," plaintiffs’ attorney Simone Leeper told the court. "And the effect of that splitting, your honor, is the cracking of the sole Democratic district that remained in the Tampa Bay region and the cracking of one of the two Democratic districts in central Florida."

The other side:

State attorneys pushed back against those claims during Friday’s hearing.

"The Florida Constitution does not require partisan symmetry, or proportional representation, or conformity with computer-generated simulations that employ the policy preferences of their experts," Florida Senate attorney Daniel Nordby argued in court. "At most, again, the plaintiffs' experts may create disputed factual questions. They don't create a clear entitlement to relief."

DeSantis has previously defended the new congressional map, saying it better reflects Florida’s population growth and current demographics.

Nationwide redistricting battle

Dig deeper:

Florida is one of at least eight states that have approved new congressional maps in recent months.

California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah have also passed redrawn congressional districts as states prepare for upcoming election cycles.

Plaintiffs in the Florida case are asking the judge to order the state to use the congressional maps that were in place before the 2022 election.

More lawsuits expected

What's next:

The Leon County judge said he will consider the arguments presented by both sides before issuing a written ruling on whether the map can remain in place.

The case is the first of at least three lawsuits challenging Florida’s new congressional districts to be heard in court.