Florida voters sue over new DeSantis-backed congressional map

Hours after Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional district map into law Monday, a coalition of voters filed suit challenging the plan as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.

The legislation, approved by state Republican lawmakers during a special session, redraws Florida’s 28 U.S. House districts mid-decade. 

Critics say the map is designed to boost Republican prospects, with projections suggesting the GOP could hold advantages in as many as 24 of the 28 districts—potentially netting four additional seats. 

Plaintiffs argue the map was drawn using partisan data to target Democratic incumbents, in violation of the state constitution’s Fair Districts Amendment, which prohibits favoring or disfavoring a political party in the redistricting process.

“Florida’s voters ask this Court to uphold that duty here,” the complaint states, filed in Leon County Circuit Court by the Equal Ground Education Fund and individual voters represented by the Elias Law Group.

The move follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting racial considerations in redistricting under the Voting Rights Act. 

DeSantis has cited the ruling as justification for the redraw, arguing it addressed prior legal vulnerabilities in southern Florida districts.

The case, Equal Ground Educ. Fund v. Byrd, could head to the state Supreme Court, which has previously upheld DeSantis-drawn maps against other challenges.

The lawsuit marks the latest flashpoint in a national wave of mid-decade redistricting battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.