Florida is gaining one Congressional district because of its growing population, according to data released Monday afternoon by the U.S. Census Bureau — the first time the Sunshine State has only grown by one seat since right after World War II.
What You Need To Know
- Based on the latest U.S. Census data, Florida will gain a Congressional seat
- Results of 2020 U.S. Census were delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic
- The census is conducted every 10 years to gauge the shifting U.S. population
- RELATED: Census data: Florida, Texas gain House seats; New York, California lose seats
Federal law requires the Census Bureau to take a head count of residents every 10 years.
The 2020 count shows there are now more than 331 million people living in the U.S.
The Sunshine State's population topped 20 million in the past decade, officially moving it ahead of New York for the third-most populous state in the country behind California and Texas.
Based on the updated population figures, Florida will get one new Congressional seat, of which the Florida Legislature will ultimately determine the boundaries.
“The bottom line is Florida is gaining a Congressional seat, which means Florida is going to be even more powerful in Congress. It will be more of a battleground for presidential states," said Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor.
The new numbers numbers not only affect the makeup of the U.S. House but also the Electoral College that decides the presidency, making Florida’s influence more powerful.
Every state with more than one House member will use the new Census numbers to redraw its congressional districts. With a Republican governor and Republicans dominating the Florida Legislature, redistricting in the Sunshine State will be controlled by the GOP.
“While there are some rules and guidelines, the Republicans do control the legislature, and Republican appointees are the majority on the Florida Supreme Court. So bottom line is, Republicans will get to do what they want when it comes to redistricting," Jewett said.
The release of the data has been delayed by both the pandemic and legal battles over how the Trump administration handled the count.
The more detailed numbers used to draw U.S. House districts are expected to be released by the end of September.
“Last year was a difficult year to do a count during a pandemic, so we need a little more time," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. "We have some of the best statisticians on the team, and we are going to make sure there are no politics involved.”
Federal law caps the U.S. House to 435 representatives, which means some states will lose Congressional seats. For the first time, California will lose one Congressional seat, as will the states of Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York.
Political reporter Greg Angel contributed to this story.