Story perspectives

DeSantis Declares Fair Districts Unconstitutional, Unveils 24-R Congressional Map

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Governor Ron DeSantis declared the 2010 Florida Fair Districts amendment unconstitutional while unveiling a congressional map.
DeSantis sent the map to the Florida Legislature, projecting up to 24 Republican and four Democratic seats.
Ellen Frieden and Nikki Fried argue the map breaches the Fair Districts amendment and the U.S. 14th Amendment.
DeSantis’s office cites a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act as justification for the redistricting.

History

Historical Context

The 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, spurred registration of about 250,000 Black voters that year and required federal oversight of discriminatory practices. After the Supreme Court struck the coverage formula in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), states gained leeway to redraw districts. Governor Ron DeSantis’s 2024 Florida map, challenged by Attorney General Nikki Fried, revives those historic battles over voting equity.

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Story summary

Governor Ron DeSantis declared the 2010 Florida Fair Districts amendment unconstitutional while unveiling a congressional map.
DeSantis sent the map to the Florida Legislature, projecting up to 24 Republican and four Democratic seats.
Ellen Frieden and Nikki Fried argue the map breaches the Fair Districts amendment and the U.S. 14th Amendment.
DeSantis’s office cites a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act as justification for the redistricting.

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