Filed Date: Jan. 15, 2016
Closed Date: May 9, 2016
Clearinghouse coding complete
A prospective Democratic presidential candidate brought this action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida alongside seven registered voters in January 2016. The lawsuit filed suit against the Floraida Democratic Party and Florida Secretary of State, challenging the Florida Democratic Party's exclusion of the prospective candidate from the state's March 15th presidential primary ballot. The plaintiffs argued that the exclusion violated their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. They sought both declaratory and injunctive relief to compel the Democratic Party to place the candidate's name on the primary ballot. Given the imminent primary election date, the plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary injunction.
Judge Robert L. Hinkle presided over the matter and issued an order on January 23, 2016 denying the preliminary injunction. The court's analysis centered on the tension between political parties' constitutional right to freedom of association and voters' rights to participate in elections. Judge Hinkle determined that political parties possess a constitutional right to decide who may participate in their nomination processes, and that the Democratic Party's decision to limit ballot access to candidates with demonstrated substantial support was a reasonable exercise of this associational freedom. Applying Supreme Court precedent governing the balance between party associational rights and electoral participation rights, the court concluded that the plaintiffs failed to establish a likelihood of success on their constitutional claims. Plaintiffs filed a motion for reconsideration, but this was also denied by the Court.
Defendants filed a motion to dismiss on February 10, 2026.
Before the motion to dismiss could be decided on the merits, the March 15th Democratic primary occurred. As such, the Court denied the case for mootness.
The case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Ann Postolowski (10/26/2025)
De La Fuente Guerra v. Florida, Northern District of Florida (2016)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/29857413/parties/de-la-fuente-guerra-v-democratic-party-of-florida/
Hinkle, Robert Lewis (Florida)
STEINBERG, MICHAEL A (Florida)
DONNELLY, JOSEPH BRENNAN (Florida)
FUGETT, DAVID ANDREW (Florida)
HERRON, MARK (Florida)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/29857413/de-la-fuente-guerra-v-democratic-party-of-florida/
Last updated April 17, 2026, 5:03 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: Jan. 15, 2016
Closing Date: May 9, 2016
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
One plaintiff is a candidate for President, a registered Democratic voter, Hispanic, and has selected the Democratic Party as the political party with whom he chooses to seek a nomination for President. The remaining 7 plaintiffs are registered Democratic voters, all Hispanic, who have voted in past primary elections and intend to vote in the Florida Democratic Presidential Primary election.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Other
Democratic Party of Florida
Florida Secretary of State
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Due Process: Procedural Due Process
Due Process: Substantive Due Process
Other Dockets:
Northern District of Florida 4:16-cv-00026
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
National origin discrimination
Voting:
Case Summary of De La Fuente Guerra v. Democratic Party of Florida, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/45059/ (last updated 10/26/2025).