Lawsuit Challenges Florida's New Congressional Map as Unconstitutional Partisan Gerrymander

A civil rights organization filed suit in Leon County circuit court within two hours of Gov. Ron DeSantis signing Florida's new congressional map into law. The lawsuit argues the redrawn districts violate the state constitutional amendment Florida voters approved in 2010 to end partisan gerrymandering — a challenge that could directly alter how the Treasure Coast is represented in Washington.

The Equal Ground Education Fund, joined by 18 individual Florida voters as plaintiffs, filed the complaint with legal representation from Marc Elias, a prominent Democratic election lawyer. The lawsuit asserts the 2026 congressional plan was drawn in violation of Florida's Fair Districts amendment, which bars the Legislature from drawing congressional districts with intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.

The stakes for the Treasure Coast are immediate. Under the existing map, which governed Florida's 2022 and 2024 congressional elections, Republicans held 20 U.S. House seats and Democrats held eight. The new map creates 24 districts where a majority of voters supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election and four where most voters backed Democrat Kamala Harris — a shift that could net House Republicans four additional Florida seats as soon as the 2026 midterms.

The lawsuit points to testimony from DeSantis' own office as evidence of constitutional violations. Jason Poreda, a senior government analyst in the Governor's Office, testified before the Senate Rules Committee last week that partisan data was used to "balance" the map, court documents show. Mohammad Jazil, counsel for the Governor's Office, argued at the same hearing that the Fair Districts amendment's minority-representation provisions no longer applied — though he acknowledged the amendment had never been judicially overturned.

"Both the map drawer and its proponents have thus effectively conceded that the 2026 Plan does not comply with the Florida Constitution," the complaint states. "And consistent with that understanding, the 2026 Plan proceeds to carve up the state to advantage the Republican Party."

The lawsuit also challenges the administration's claim that the map was drawn in a "race-neutral" manner, arguing no court has ruled the Fair Districts amendment's race provisions unconstitutional.

Genesis Robinson, Equal Ground's executive director, said in a statement that the Legislature "abdicated its constitutional responsibility" by allowing DeSantis to draw the maps — as the complaint alleges he also did four years ago during the last redistricting cycle.

The case will be heard in Leon County circuit court. No hearing date had been scheduled as of Sunday. Equal Ground has signaled it will seek to block the map before the 2026 election cycle begins.

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