Florida to feds: Give us another congressional seat or more federal funds

Florida is calling on federal authorities to remedy alleged errors in the U.S. Census and want the state awarded an additional seat in Congress — or at the very least updated population data so that the state is in line for increased federal funding.

Attorney General James Uthmeier earlier this month sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that outlined the state’s concerns that Florida was “egregiously undercounted” during the last Census, conducted under the first term of President Donald Trump but certified by the administration of President Joe Biden.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Uthmeier appeared together in Palm Beach County on Wednesday, where the governor cited the letter and laid out other reasons that he contended could require the state to do a mid-decade redistricting.

Something we’re going to have to address

“We’ve had really significant growth and migration, and our congressional map should reflect that,” DeSantis said. “So, this is something that we are going to have to address as a state.”

The Republican governor said he had “spoken with some folks in the Florida Legislature and I think that there’s broad acknowledgement that this is something — you know — that is going to have to happen.”

DeSantis asserted that the U.S. Supreme Court could in the next few months issue a ruling in a closely watched case over redistricting that questions whether the deliberate creation of majority-minority districts is constitutional.

The governor suggested that at least one seat in South Florida — if not a second — would need to be redrawn if that occurred. The seat DeSantis appeared to be referencing is held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A tussle over redistricting has broken out among red states and blue states since Trump pushed Texas to redraw its congressional districts so that Republicans could pick up extra seats during the 2026 midterm elections. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has responded, pushing ahead with his own map that could bolster the number of Democrats elected there.

While this has been unfolding, DeSantis has been calling for state legislators to draw a new congressional map. He has said several times that the decennial Census should be redone so that Florida could gain additional seats. But DeSantis has also cited a state Supreme Court decision that upheld Florida’s existing map, which eliminated the North Florida district that had been held by Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat.

Following the 2020 Census, Florida was awarded one new congressional seat, for 28 total, and it was included in a new map pushed into law by DeSantis that resulted in Republicans gaining four seats in Florida.

DeSantis said he had been told by the Trump administration that it was likely the state would get two additional seats. He said the Commerce Department itself had acknowledged problems with the survey after it occurred.

Florida TaxWatch, an organization that monitors tax and spending policy, has estimated the Census missed 750,000 people in Florida. The average number of people in a congressional district is 769,221, according to the state Senate.

Send a letter

In his letter, Uthmeier contends that nothing precludes the Commerce Department from conducting a “streamlined” recount that corrects “now discovered errors.” During the press event, both Uthmeier and DeSantis speculated that Florida and other Republican-controlled states had been purposely harmed. Uthmeier called it a “deep state effort to manipulate the Census.”

Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, blasted the latest efforts by DeSantis to push for a mid-decade redistricting.

“This is yet another manufactured crisis from Ron DeSantis — speculative, corrupt, and a complete waste of taxpayer dollars,” said Fried. “Floridians are facing increased costs of living, meanwhile, Ron’s trying to stir chaos to distract from his failures, all in pursuit of Gavin Newsom-style headlines. 

Note: This story has been updated to include the number of people who might have been undercounted in ther 2020 Census and the average population per congressional district.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.