Federal Court Upholds Florida’s Racially Gerrymandered Senate Map in Tampa Bay Lawsuit

Evidence revealed in court underscores ongoing struggle for racial justice in Florida’s redistricting process

TAMPA, FL — In Nord Hodges v. Albritton, a federal court upheld Florida’s Senate District 16, finding the plaintiffs had not met their burden to prove that the Florida Senate drew District 16 predominantly along racial lines. The court declined to rule on whether District 16’s combining Black communities from Tampa and St. Petersburg across Tampa Bay was legally necessary. By packing Black voters into District 16, controlling legislators ensure neighboring District 18 has an artificially low number of Black voters, diminishing their influence in that District.

The plaintiffs — represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida and the Civil Rights & Racial Justice (CRRJ) Clinic at NYU School of Law — argued that race was the leading factor in the Legislature’s redistricting decisions, in violation of established constitutional principles. The court, while ruling against plaintiffs, heard compelling evidence showing how the process sidelined traditional redistricting criteria and the needs of communities by packing Black voters from both Tampa and St. Petersburg into a single district.

“All of us deserve fair representation in government. This ruling keeps the state’s racially gerrymandered map in place. In doing so, the political power of communities in Tampa Bay has been diminished and districting principles like compactness and respecting political boundaries eroded,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “We brought this case because we believe Black voters deserve districts that reflect their communities, not ones that dilute their power. That belief hasn’t changed. Our fight for justice continues, and we are more committed than ever to standing with communities in the courts, in the legislature, at the ballot box, and in the streets to secure fair representation for all.”

The court declined to discuss whether it was actually necessary for District 16 to connect the disparate Black communities of Tampa and St. Petersburg to comply with Florida’s redistricting requirements. The plaintiffs in the case argued that packing these far-flung cities into a single district was not justified and undermined, rather than advanced, fair representation.

The ACLU of Florida and the NYU CRRJ Clinic remain steadfast in its mission to ensure equal representation for all Floridians and will continue to support communities most impacted by unjust redistricting practices.

Read the court order below.