Florida TaxWatch says Florida and two other red states were robbed of congressional seats in the last Census

A proper Census count would give Florida an extra U.S. House seat, according to one analysis.

Florida TaxWatch, which has complained the U.S. Census undercounted Florida’s population, released a new report showing the cost of that in congressional reapportionment. That would also mean Florida missed out on an electoral vote for deciding presidential elections.

The study shows Florida, Texas and Tennessee — all states carried by President Donald Trump in November — all should have one more congressional district. Meanwhile, Colorado, Minnesota and Rhode Island — states won by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris — all should have one less.

“In 2020, Florida was one of six states with a statistically significant census undercount. Florida missed an estimated 750,000 residents, 3.48% of its population,” said TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro.

“These failed-to-count residents were not considered in apportionment calculations, costing Florida taxpayers the representation they deserve. When Floridians aren’t counted, Florida’s voice in Congress and the White House gets quieter – and taxpayers pay the price.”

TaxWatch based its calculations on the Post-Enumeration Survey conducted by the Census after its decennial count.

While TaxWatch has complained for some time about what it perceives as an undercount, this report drops just as several states, including Florida, float the idea of a mid-decade redistricting. Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone so far as to call for a new Census to correct the awarding of districts ahead of the 2026 Midterms.

Of note, DeSantis has complained other states like California had inflated figures in the 2020 Census, which he attributed to counting undocumented migrants. That said, the analysis by TaxWatch did not see any error in the number of U.S. House seats awarded to California, New York or Illinois, three states with Democratic Governors also considering a redistricting.

TaxWatch has focused instead on trying to count all the people missed in 2020, including addressing hesitancy among immigrants to participate in the government survey.

But the watchdog group stressed in a release the importance of consistency in any count.

“To uphold a fair democratic republic, every state should count its residents in the same way,” the report reads.

The consequences of an undercount extend beyond the number of members in the congressional delegation, TaxWatch leaders stressed.

“Florida’s census undercount not only cost the state at least one congressional seat but also resulted in a loss of federal funding that will range from $11 billion to $21 billion by the end of the decade,” said Jeff Kottcamp, TaxWatch Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

“Meanwhile, other states enjoyed census overcounts, potentially providing their residents with a greater share of representation. To maintain a fair democratic republic, every state should count its residents in the same way.”