The Florida Senate and Secretary of State Cord Byrd are defending 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 the plan intentionally concentrated Black voters into District 16, reducing their influence in neighboring District 18. They claim this action violated equal protection rights and disregarded natural communities of interest.
Attorneys for Senate President Ben Albritton and Secretary Byrd have filed motions for summary judgment, aiming to dismiss the case before trial. They maintain the redistricting plan meets constitutional standards and that race was not the predominant factor in designing the districts.
The state’s defense highlights that bay-crossing districts, like District 16, have existed for decades. They assert the current map respects geographic boundaries and complies with Florida’s 2010 “Fair Districts” amendment, which prohibits diminishing minority voting power.
Byrd’s motion accuses the plaintiffs of trying to create an additional Democratic district rather than addressing genuine racial concerns. The state also argues that the plaintiffs’ proposed alternative maps offer no significant improvement in Black voter representation or district compactness.
The challenged redistricting plan was used in the 2022 elections, where Senator Darryl Rouson, a Black Democrat, won District 16, and Senator Nick DiCeglie, a White Republican, won District 18.
The case is being reviewed by a three-judge federal panel. Its outcome, alongside other ongoing redistricting challenges in Florida, could shape the state’s political landscape and representation in the future.
