TAMPA, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that Florida “will be forced” to redraw its congressional map next year, predicting that a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act (VRA) will require changes regardless of political considerations. The comments come as Democrats and voting-rights groups denounce his push for a special redistricting session as an unconstitutional gerrymander.
DeSantis argued that the state must address the potential impact of the Court’s upcoming ruling in a Louisiana case that could determine the future of Section 2 of the VRA, which bars voting laws that dilute minority representation. The governor said Florida’s current map could be affected even though state and federal courts upheld the district lines he approved in 2022.
Voting-rights advocates counter that DeSantis’s past actions—most notably eliminating a North Florida district that previously elected a Black Democrat—violate the state’s Fair Districts constitutional protections. DeSantis rejected that argument Wednesday, saying lawmakers cannot use partisan data when drawing new boundaries.
The governor also repeated his claim that an “appropriate” mid-decade redistricting is justified because Florida’s population surged after the 2020 Census. He acknowledged, however, that his push to update the Census count has stalled.
Separately, state Rep. Daryl Campbell filed a resolution proposing independent redistricting commissions, arguing they would eliminate partisan influence and restore public trust.
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