Florida State Senate Redistricting Challenge

Lawsuit filed by five voters against Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd (R) and President of the Florida Senate Kathleen Passidomo (R) challenging two Florida Senate districts. The plaintiffs claim that 16th Senate District, which stretches across the Tampa Bay area, connects two separate Black communities in Tampa and St. Petersburg and packs more than half of the region’s Black residents into one district. The plaintiffs allege that this strips the adjacent 18th Senate District of its Black residents and diminishes Black voting power in the district. The plaintiffs argue that this distribution dilutes Black voting power by consolidating Black residents into one district rather than two. The plaintiffs claim that the map is a racial gerrymander that violates the 14th Amendment. They ask the court to declare the map unconstitutional and order the implementation of a new state Senate map.

STATUS: On April 17, the case was assigned to a three-judge panel.

Last updated: April 25, 2024 4:42 pm EST