Byron Donald Joins Lawsuit Over Census Disputes
Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donald has entered a lawsuit that claims there was an “illegal manipulation” of the 2020 Census, which allegedly led to the loss of congressional seats in what would be considered Republican territories.
The lawsuit, initially filed back in September by the University of South Florida Republicans and the Pinellas County Young Republicans, has now been amended to include Donald—a congressman who is also running for governor in Florida and has the backing of President Trump—among the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs assert that Florida lost two House seats as the U.S. Census Bureau supposedly counted “fictitious people rather than real Americans.”
Donald emphasized the importance of accurate representation, referencing the Constitution in a statement shared with the press. He argued that the Census Bureau’s actions were not just illegal but also corrupted the election process.
The national census is conducted every decade and plays a crucial role in determining the distribution of congressional seats and political power in the country. Trump previously criticized the census for purportedly inflating numbers in predominantly blue states and including undocumented immigrants.
The complaint alleges that the Census Bureau employed statistically prohibited methods to add “millions of fictitious college students” living in empty dormitories during the pandemic.
According to the plaintiffs, this approach resulted in adding around 2.5 million “phantom people” to specific states—mostly blue ones—while red states like Florida faced systematic undercounting.
They are requesting a three-judge panel to examine their claims and are seeking several remedies, which include declaring the 2020 Census as illegal, preventing the same methodology from being used in the 2030 Census, and mandating the bureau to release an updated 2020 report without the controversial statistical methods.
The lawsuit names Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce overseeing the Census Bureau, and George Cook, the interim director of the agency, as defendants.
Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal, stated that the Constitution mandates a census for critical reasons, including determining representation, funding, and presidential elections. He stressed that representation should reflect the actual number of real Americans.
Donald concluded by stating that an accurate census is vital for the integrity of the electoral system, arguing that Florida voters shouldn’t lose their rightful representation due to bureaucratic manipulations.
The congressman, already endorsed by Trump, is seen as a leading candidate to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis. However, speculation is mounting that Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who was appointed by DeSantis in August, might receive the governor’s support in a potential run.
