The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed new U.S. House districts drawn by Republicans to be used in the midterm elections, marking another victory for the GOP in a nationwide redistricting effort aimed at helping the party retain its slim House majority.
Background
Attorneys for voters who sued had argued that the new congressional districts violate a state constitutional prohibition on partisan gerrymandering, and that the court should order the state to continue using the same districts as in the previous election. The Supreme Court, in a 6-1 decision, denied their request for a temporary injunction without ruling on the merits of the case.
Republicans already hold 20 of Florida’s 28 U.S. House seats. The new voting districts signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after a swift two-day special legislative session could improve the GOP’s chances to win four additional seats this year.
Reaction
Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, who defended the new districts in court, declared “complete and total victory” in a social media post. Opponents express outrage while vowing to continue the court fight, even though it may stretch into the 2028 election cycle.
The new districts are “a pretty clear partisan gerrymander,” said Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. “We’re going to do everything we can to prevent this map from impacting further, future elections.”
National Implications
Florida’s map is part of a national GOP effort to reshape voting district boundaries to the GOP’s advantage. Several Southern states have taken steps to try to eliminate minority districts that have elected Democrats.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
