\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe 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.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. The judges said they lacked jurisdiction to intervene while the lawsuit gradually plays out in the lower courts.Republicans already hold 20 of Florida\u2019s 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\u2019s chances to win four additional seats this year.How Florida’s new U.S. House districts could help Republicans House districts used in Florida’s 2024 elections resulted in 20 Republicans and eight Democrats. New districts passed by the Republican-led Legislature would give Republicans a better chance at winning several additional seats. The 2024 boundaries show party control from the last election; the new boundaries show the partisan makeup that Republicans hope to achieve in the 2026 election.The court\u2019s decision provides some certainty for prospective congressional candidates, who face a Friday deadline to qualify for the state\u2019s Aug. 18 primaries.Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, who defended the new districts in court, declared \u201ccomplete and total victory\u201d in a social media post.Opponents expressed outrage while vowing to continue the court fight, even though it may stretch into the 2028 election cycle.\u201cThe Florida Supreme Court\u2019s failure to stop this brazen partisan power grab is not only an assault on democracy, but an abdication of its duty to the people of Florida,\u201d said Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, a community organizing group that sued.The new districts are \u201ca pretty clear partisan gerrymander,\u201d said Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can to prevent this map from impacting further, future elections.\u201dFlorida\u2019s map is part of a national GOP effortVoting districts typically are redrawn after a census near the beginning of each decade. Florida is one of several Republican-led states that have undertaken mid-decade redistricting as part of President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to try to hold on to a slim House majority in November by reshaping district boundaries to the GOP\u2019s advantage.Florida\u2019s legislature approved the new House map on April 29 \u2014 the same day the U.S. Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities while striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana. Since then, several Southern states have taken steps to try to eliminate minority districts that have elected Democrats.DeSantis had called lawmakers into a special session before the high court\u2019s ruling, but he had anticipated the eventual outcome. DeSantis\u2019 office asserted that no racial data was used for the map he presented to the Legislature. The new map, among other things, redraws a southeastern Florida district that DeSantis\u2019 office said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.In addition to barring partisan gerrymandering, a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2010 also prohibits districts from being drawn to deny or diminish the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. It further requires districts to be compact and, where feasible, use existing political and geographic boundaries.Republicans assert that redistricting restrictions are invalid In a memo to lawmakers, DeSantis\u2019 General Counsel David Axelman asserted that the racial redistricting provision of Florida\u2019s Fair Districts Amendment violates the U.S. Constitution. If one element is invalid, Axelman wrote, then the entire 2010 amendment is void, including provisions barring partisan gerrymandering.Attorneys representing state officials made similar arguments to the Florida Supreme Court, after a lower court judge last month declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new map. They also argued it was too late in the election season to revert to the previous maps.In a filing with the Florida Supreme Court, attorneys representing state officials said the new map was \u201ccause for celebration\u201d during America\u2019s 250th anniversary. \u201cPerhaps for the first time in Florida\u2019s history, the State has a truly colorblind map; a map that refuses to assault the dignity of men and women by color-coding them,\u201d their court filing said.Attorneys who sued on behalf of voters argued the new districts were crafted with political favoritism. They argued in documents filed with the state Supreme Court that the new congressional districts are \u201camong the most extreme partisan gerrymanders enacted in any state over the past half-century.\u201dUnder the new House map, 82% of voters in districts represented by Republicans remain in the same districts as under the previous map, said attorney Chris Shenton, who represented Common Cause and other groups challenging the map. Just 41% of voters in districts represented by Democrats are kept in their same districts, he said.Justices differed on urgency of Florida caseThe Supreme Court\u2019s majority issued only a brief written opinion, but two of its members elaborated about the importance of the case. In a concurring opinion, Justice Adam Tanenbaum said the judicial system follows a deliberative process, and \u201cthere is no need for special treatment in this case.\u201dIn a dissent, Justice Jorge Labarga expressed frustration that an appellate court hadn\u2019t sent the case straight to the Supreme Court. He said the state constitution \u201canticipates that some matters may be so urgent as to require an expedited path to this Court.\u201d\u201cSurely, the upcoming 2026 congressional elections affecting the representation of millions of Floridians meet that threshold,\u201d Labarga wrote.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tTALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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<\/a> aimed at helping the party retain its slim House majority.<\/p>\n 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. The judges said they lacked jurisdiction to intervene while the lawsuit gradually plays out in the lower courts.<\/p>\n Republicans already hold 20 of Florida\u2019s 28 U.S. House seats. The new voting districts<\/a> signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after a swift two-day special legislative session could improve the GOP\u2019s chances to win four additional seats this year.<\/p>\n How Florida’s new U.S. House districts could help Republicans <\/p>\n House districts used in Florida’s 2024 elections resulted in 20 Republicans and eight Democrats. New districts passed by the Republican-led Legislature would give Republicans a better chance at winning several additional seats. The 2024 boundaries show party control from the last election; the new boundaries show the partisan makeup that Republicans hope to achieve in the 2026 election.<\/p>\n The court\u2019s decision provides some certainty for prospective congressional candidates, who face a Friday deadline to qualify for the state\u2019s Aug. 18 primaries.<\/p>\n Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, who defended the new districts in court, declared \u201ccomplete and total victory\u201d in a social media post.<\/p>\n Opponents expressed outrage while vowing to continue the court fight, even though it may stretch into the 2028 election cycle.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Florida Supreme Court\u2019s failure to stop this brazen partisan power grab is not only an assault on democracy, but an abdication of its duty to the people of Florida,\u201d said Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, a community organizing group that sued.<\/p>\n The new districts are \u201ca pretty clear partisan gerrymander,\u201d said Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can to prevent this map from impacting further, future elections.\u201d<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s map is part of a national GOP effort<\/p>\n Voting districts typically are redrawn after a census near the beginning of each decade. Florida is one of several Republican-led states that have undertaken mid-decade redistricting as part of President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to try to hold on to a slim House majority in November by reshaping district boundaries to the GOP\u2019s advantage.<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s legislature approved the new House map on April 29 \u2014 the same day the U.S. Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act<\/a> protections for minorities while striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana. Since then, several Southern states<\/a> have taken steps to try to eliminate minority districts that have elected Democrats.<\/p>\n