The Florida Senate and Secretary of State Cord Byrd are pushing back against a lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering in the state’s 2022 redistricting plan.
The lawsuit, filed in April, challenges the configuration of two Tampa Bay-area Senate districts – District 16 and District 18. Plaintiffs argue that the plan intentionally packed Black voters into District 16, diminishing their influence in neighboring District 18.
They claim this violated equal protection rights and ignored natural communities of interest.
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Attorneys for Senate President Ben Albritton and Secretary Byrd have filed motions for summary judgment, seeking to dismiss the case before it goes to trial. They contend that the redistricting plan adheres to constitutional standards and that race was not the predominant factor in drawing the district lines.
The state’s defense emphasizes that bay-crossing districts, like District 16, have existed for decades. They argue that the current map respects geographic boundaries and complies with Florida’s 2010 “Fair Districts” amendment, which prohibits diminishing minority voting power.
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Byrd’s motion accuses the plaintiffs of seeking to create an additional Democratic district rather than addressing genuine racial concerns. The state argues that the plaintiffs’ proposed alternative maps are not meaningfully better in terms of Black voter representation or compactness.
The challenged redistricting plan was used in the 2022 elections. Senator Darryl Rouson, a Black Democrat, won District 16, while Senator Nick DiCeglie, a White Republican, won District 18.
The case is being heard by a three-judge federal panel. The outcome of this lawsuit, along with other ongoing redistricting challenges in Florida, could significantly impact the state’s political landscape and representation in the years to come.
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