NRF-Supported Plaintiffs File Lawsuit to Halt Gov. DeSantis’s Plan to Gerrymander

Washington, D.C. – Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed a lawsuit in the Florida Supreme Court against Governor Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd, asking the court to void the Governor’s proclamation declaring 2026 an apportionment year and to block the Secretary’s directive implementing that proclamation. In the filing, the plaintiffs argue that the Governor’s proclamation and the Secretary’s directive violate the separation of powers outlined in the Florida Constitution. The NRF is directing litigation and providing financial support on behalf of the plaintiffs in this case. The full petition in the case, Pines v. DeSantis, can be viewed here.

“By using a proclamation to declare 2026 an apportionment year, Governor DeSantis exceeded his constitutional authority by usurping a core legislative responsibility in service of his desire to enact a mid-decade gerrymander. The Florida Constitution is clear, the legislature is the branch of government that is responsible for redistricting,” said Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the NRF. “In order to protect the rights of Florida voters, the court must strike down this woeful and blatant disregard for the state’s constitutional guardrails. This is a straightforward case, and we are confident that justice will prevail.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON LEGAL ARGUMENTS:

On January 7, 2026, Governor DeSantis issued a proclamation declaring that “2026 is a year in which the Legislature will apportion the State,” calling for a special session on redistricting to begin on April 20. That same day, the Secretary of State issued a directive implementing that proclamation by moving the candidate filing deadlines for the 2026 election cycle from April 20-24 to June 8-12, consistent with the deadlines of an apportionment year.

In the lawsuit filing, plaintiffs supported by the NRF argue that Governor DeSantis and the Secretary of State overstepped their authority in issuing and implementing the Governor’s proclamation. Specifically, the plaintiffs make the following arguments:

  1. Apportionment is a core legislative responsibility;
  2. The determination of what year is an “apportionment year” is not an executive policy decision; and
  3. The proclamation impermissibly intrudes on legislative discretion.

The plaintiffs are asking the Florida Supreme Court to declare the Governor’s proclamation void and the Secretary of State’s directive invalid. To learn more about the NRF’s work, click here. 

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