DeSantis Redistricting Plan Upheld By Florida Supreme Court, Critics Say It Dilutes Black Voting Power

On July 17, the Florida Supreme Court upheld a redistricting plan proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis, ruling that it does not violate the equal protection guarantees of the Florida Constitution. The court, which currently has a conservative majority, includes several justices appointed during DeSantis’s tenure.

According to The Associated Press, the court ruled that restoring the maps to a state that would unite Black communities across the state, in an area encompassing 200 miles stretching from Jacksonville to just west of Tallahassee would constitute impermissible racial gerrymandering.

This ruling was explained by Chief Justice Carlos Muniz, who wrote in the majority opinion, “The record leaves no doubt that such a district would be race-predominant. The record also gives us no reasonable basis to think that further litigation would uncover a potentially viable remedy.”

The Florida Supreme Court upheld the redistricting map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis, which is expected to give Republicans a 20-8 advantage in congressional elections. The previous map had enabled the election of former Democratic Representative Al Lawson, who is Black, but the new map divides that district into three separate Republican-leaning districts.

This arrangement was criticized by Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation, one of the organizations that filed the lawsuit challenging the map as potentially unconstitutional due to concerns over partisan gerrymandering.

Jenkins said the court’s ruling, a reversal of a lower court’s previous ruling, was “alarming” due to her belief that it “diminishes the voting power of Black Floridians.”

“The Florida Supreme Court’s refusal to enforce state law, allowing an unconstitutional map to remain in place, is alarming,” Jenkins said. “The court is abandoning the most basic role of the judiciary: to provide justice for the people. This decision shamefully dismisses the fact that the state’s map actively diminishes the voting power of Black Floridians. Make no mistake, the fight for fair maps in Florida is far from over,” she vowed.

Justice Jorge Labarga, the lone dissenter in the case, argued in his opinion that not allowing the plaintiffs to produce an alternative map actually allows an unconstitutional election map to remain in place.

“By foreclosing further litigation, the majority’s decision now allows to remain in place a congressional redistricting plan that is unconstitutional under the Florida Constitution,” Labarga wrote in his opinion.

The outcome of this case could have implications for other states in the South, where voter ID laws and redistricting practices have drawn scrutiny and legal challenges over concerns about fair representation and access to the ballot.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has faced criticism from Houston Democrats regarding his plan to proceed with redistricting following the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner. Abbott’s approach, which aligns with former President Donald Trump’s preferences and resembles the redistricting strategy used by DeSantis, has been described by some Houston Democrats as a politically motivated effort.

Amanda Edwards, one of many candidates to replace Turner’s seat as the representative from the 18th District, told KHOU 11 that the potential redistricting of the maps by Republicans in Texas would have far-reaching implications.

“This attempt to get rid of majority minority districts will have far reaching effects on people within this district, and so much more,” Edwards said in a news conference.

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