In the wake of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ new redistricting plan for Florida, Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) posted on X, “DeSantis declared war against Florida’s 1.3M Puerto Ricans. We are American citizens, our people served and died for this country, and we vote.” Soto was referencing a new redistricting map that divides concentrated Puerto Ricans communities among voting districts, lessening the power of Florida’s Puerto Rican voters to make a unified political statement. Soto’s 9th district seat is threatened, and some reporting suggests that he was specifically targeted by the new map.
What is redistricting?
Residents of states are divided into districts. Each district votes for its own representatives. Redistricting changes the individual voters in a district. The 2026 redistricting map specifically targets Democratic districts in an open effort to increase the number of Republican representatives from Florida in Congress.
The map divides Puerto Rican voters among four districts instead of just two, as the previous map did. The plan is to give Democrats just four districts instead of the current eight seats they hold in Congress.
This process is sometimes called “gerrymandering ” after Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry, who used redistricting to create strangely shaped districts that reminded a political cartoonist of a salamander. It may look more like a basilisk or a cockatrice, but the name “gerrymander” stuck. The term is used to refer to redistricting to give an advantage to one political party over another.
Florida’s state constitution forbids this. An aide to the governor says that political parties were considered in drawing the map.
How does this affect Puerto Rican voters?
Puerto Rican voters in the states don’t all vote the same way. Third-generation Puerto Rican New Yorkers naturally have different views from recent arrivals in Florida. What’s more, political parties in Puerto Rico are different from the national political parties in the states. Puerto Rican political parties are distinguished by their positions on Puerto Rico’s political status rather than left or right wing positions. Recent arrivals are likely to choose candidates on the basis of their attitudes toward Puerto Rico, just as other immigrants have historically done, rather than to vote Republican or Democratic.
However, Rep. Soto is the first Puerto Rican to represent Florida in Congress, and a strong supporter of equality for Puerto Rico through statehood. He has talked about introducing a status bill like the Puerto Rico Status Act in Congress. If he were to lose his seat, the Island’s chances of escaping the colonial territory status would diminish.
Puerto Rican voters in Florida support Soto. The new map dilutes the influence of Puerto Ricans in District 9, and brings in more Republican voters who are not of Puerto Rican heritage and who may vote for Soto’s opponent on party lines.
Hi! Today, the Florida re-districting Map has set back the fair gains of the past; leaves Hispanics without fair opportunity to get elected. Thus, we must take non-partisan Civic Action to correct a wrong as this new
Re-districting Map must be challenged in Court, as we continue to advocate for a fair opportunity Central Florida District, etc. Please, see below Memo I used that can be updated to be used today. USE & SHARE!
(Dennis O. Freytes, US Army Ret.; Florida Veterans Hall of Fame; Community Servant Leader)
NOTE: In 2010+, I was very active in advocating, testifying before Florida Legislators, and contacting key Florida Leaders (including-FL Governor/US Congresspersons/Florida Legislators-Speaker/Majority Leader/Senate President)/Mayors/ Community Leaders)…
ENCLOSURE:
TO: Florida Governor; FL US Congresspersons; FL Senate; FL House/ MEDIA
RE: Re-District for Fair Florida Districts!
Hi! American Hispanics, Blacks, and Other “Minorities” face un-fair political district lines that minimize election opportunities; result in under-representation (Congress, State, County, & City). This inequality must end! District Lines must be fairly drawn to reflect the US Census facts, 1965 Voting Rights, and other Laws. We should not keep the “Minority-Mayority” at the back of the re-districting bus!
+NOTE/FACTS: AI: The major elements covered under U.S. redistricting law are divided into federal mandates and traditional state-level criteria: [1, 2]
1. Mandatory Federal Requirements [1]
Federal law applies uniformly across all states and overrides any conflicting state rules. It focuses primarily on two main pillars: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Equal Population (“One Person, One Vote”): Under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, districts must have roughly equal populations so that every individual’s vote carries equal weight. For U.S. House congressional districts, the standard is strict mathematical equality, allowing almost zero population deviation. For state legislative districts, courts allow a bit more flexibility, typically permitting a maximum population deviation of up to 10%.
• Prohibition of Racial Discrimination: Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), states are prohibited from drawing maps that dilute the voting power of racial or language minorities. In areas with polarized voting, the law may require the creation of “majority-minority” districts to give minority communities a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
• The Racial Gerrymandering Constraint: Under the 14th Amendment, while states must comply with the VRA, they cannot use race as the predominant factor when drawing lines unless they have a compelling governmental interest and the map is narrowly tailored. Doing so unconstitutionally separates voters by race. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
2. Traditional Districting Principles (State Level)
The U.S. Constitution grants states the primary authority to manage their own elections, meaning additional line-drawing rules are set by state constitutions or legislative statutes. The most common “traditional” criteria include: [1]
• Contiguity: All parts of an electoral district must be physically connected to one another.
• Compactness: Districts should have irregular or elongated shapes minimized, meaning constituents should live relatively close to one another rather than in sprawling, jagged shapes.
• Preservation of Political Subdivisions: Mapmakers are encouraged to respect local boundaries by minimizing how often a single county, city, or town is split across multiple districts.
• Preservation of Communities of Interest: This practice aims to keep geographic areas together where residents share common social, cultural, environmental, or economic interests.
• Core Preservation: Maintaining the core geographic integrity of previous districts to ensure continuity for voters from cycle to cycle. [1, 2, 3]
3. Partisan Outcomes and Gerrymandering
• Federal Courts’ Hands-Off Approach: In the landmark 2019 case Rucho v. Common Cause, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that partisan gerrymandering (drawing lines to intentionally favor one political party over another) is a “political question” beyond the reach of federal courts.
• State Prohibitions: Because federal courts do not police partisan gerrymandering, individual state laws dictate this boundary. Several states explicitly ban the practice, prohibit the use of partisan data when drawing maps, or legally mandate that districts be drawn to foster electoral competitiveness. [1, 2]
In Florida, out of an 18.8+ m Population: “Minorities” are 42.1+% or about 8+ m Americans & growing.
Orange, Osceola, and four Other FL Counties are now “Minority-Majority”… This means: White Non-Hispanic residents are less than 50% of the County Population (minority), but, they hold a super-majority in elected positions, with little or no “Minority-Majority” representation.
We must advance a properly balanced representative democracy (with protected individual civil rights); ensure a political empowerment opportunity for all loyal US Citizens, not just for a privileged group; abide by Laws that are for fair play.
Government Officials should not gerrymander, but, listen, and draw proper “minority access” , “community access” and compact Districts; don’t support veiled “retrogression”; but, fairly–let lines fall where they may. Re-District to: add at least a “Minority Majority” Congressional seat to Metro Orlando (no less 45% Hispanic because they have no Congressional representation); for other areas, allow a fair opportunity by drawing 50%+ “Minority Access Districts”; not waste Tax Payer’s money in costly law suits that defend a wrong. Besides, recognize that one size doesn’t fit all; be inclusive…
Let merit and qualifications prevail. Work together for the Good of All: Family, Community, Florida, USA, and Humanity!