Too late for judge to toss Florida’s new congressional map, DeSantis admin says

Florida’s new congressional map, which could secure Republican control of Congress, is facing its first legal challenge in Tallahassee. A judge heard arguments from groups seeking to temporarily block the map ahead of the midterm elections, but the DeSantis administration argued that any ruling should wait until after a full trial. The state cited a 2012 precedent where Florida’s maps remained in place for two election cycles before being struck down. The map, crafted by Jason Poreda in DeSantis’ office, reduces Democratic seats from 14 to 7 and is designed to give Republicans 24 of Florida’s 28 seats. Plaintiffs, including the Equal Ground Education Fund, Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters of Florida, claim the map violates the state’s Fair Districts Amendment, which bans partisan gerrymandering and protects minority voting rights. They argue the map was intentionally drawn to favor Republicans, pointing to changes like splitting Tampa Bay’s Democratic seat. The DeSantis administration counters that the amendment’s racial protections are invalid following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, arguing that if one part of the law is struck down, the entire amendment collapses. Attorneys for the state also dismissed claims of partisan intent, stating that external comments, such as former President Donald Trump’s push for redrawn maps, are irrelevant to Florida’s process. A consolidated lawsuit from left-leaning organizations argues that the map’s design—such as dividing Tampa’s southern half into a rural-leaning district—demonstrates clear partisan bias. The case hinges on whether the court can act quickly enough to alter the map before the 2024 elections, with the state insisting the timeline is too tight for meaningful intervention.