2020 Census: Florida flirted with adding three congressional seats, settles for one

(The Center Square) – Nearly 21.54 million people live in Florida, 14.6 percent more than a decade ago but not enough to add two seats to the Sunshine State’s Congressional delegation for the first time since the 1940s.

Florida’s population increased 2010-20 at nearly double the nation’s 7.35 percent growth rate during the decade in which it eclipsed New York as the country’s third-most populous state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Apportion Results released Monday.

Florida gained 2.7 million residents during the decade, according to the Bureau, and is one of six states that will add a new congressional district in 2022, giving the Sunshine State 28 U.S. House reps and 30 electoral college votes.

Monday’s data release was the first step in the Congressional reapportionment process. The U.S. Constitution requires a census every 10 years to update the nation’s population for resource allocation and to redistribute the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Constitution requires every state have at least one seat in the U.S. House. The remaining 385 seats are distributed by a population-based formula based on populations documented in decennial censuses.

The Bureau in January 2020 estimated Florida’s population at 21.48 million. It appeared the state was virtually assured of adding two members to its congressional delegation. In fact, Election Data Services projected Florida was about 172,000 people away from adding a third new congressional district.

But Florida was slow to gear up for the census. After maintaining for months the headcount was best left to the Bureau and more 120 local committees, Gov. Ron DeSantis in January appointed Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez to lead a 19-member Florida Complete Count Committee.

According to the Bureau, the population of the United States rose 7.4 percent between 2010-20 to more than 331 million residents, the second-slowest population growth rate between censuses in U.S. history.

Population, and congressional representation, during the 2010s continued a decades’ long shift to the south and west, the data confirms.

According to the Bureau, five states other than Florida gained seats: Colorado, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon with Texas adding two; and seven states lost seats: California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois.

Under the new congressional districts, which go into effect for 2022 elections, each member of the U.S. House will represent an average of 761,000 residents. That number will be about 770,000 in Florida, according to the Bureau, with each of the 120 state House districts representing 179,455 and 40 state Senate districts containing 538,455 people.

Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said Monday that reapportionment studies will begin this summer and end with the adjournment of the 2022 legislative session.

“The Florida Legislature is required to redraw legislative and congressional district boundaries using the block-level population and demographic data provided by the most recent decennial census during the Regular Session of 2022,” he said in a memo. “At this time, I believe we will be able to meet our Constitutional duty and complete our redistricting work before the conclusion of the 2022 regular session despite the delayed data release by the Census Bureau.”

Simpson has no plans to make Senate appointments to the committee anytime soon.

“As I have previously communicated, I believe it is appropriate to wait to appoint (committee members) until the Legislature is ready to begin drawing districts,” he said, cautioning lawmakers “to be aware that they may be compelled to produce records or be subject to questioning under oath about conversations with parties who may attempt to persuade the Legislature to pass maps that favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.”

House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said redistricting cannot “favor or disfavor” any incumbent, vowing a non-partisan process.

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