Topline
Florida’s Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a request for a hearing over the state’s controversial new congressional map that eliminates a majority Black district, putting an end—for now—to one of the most high-profile redistricting challenges heading into the midterms.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on … [+]
Key Facts
A slew of voting rights groups suing the state wanted the court to consider reinstating an injunction blocking the map.
Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith issued an injunction last month blocking the map, ruling the proposal to move the 5th Congressional District out of a majority Black region of north Florida violated the Fair Districts Amendments of the state constitution.
The court did not rule on the merits of the lawsuit, but its decision to not issue an injunction effectively kills any chance of overturning the map before the midterms.
Key Background
The map, which was drawn by Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R) office before getting legislative approval, increases Republican dominance over the state’s congressional delegation, partly through shifting the 5th District to a solidly Republican area. The old map straddled the 5th District along a roughly 150-mile stretch of Florida’s border with Georgia, a minority-majority area where Black residents make up more than 40% of the population. DeSantis argued the elongated shape of the district made it unconstitutional, while critics countered that moving the district is a blatant move to dilute the Black vote, which traditionally tilts Democratic.
Big Number
18. That’s how many Republican-leaning districts are in Florida’s new map, according to FiveThirtyEight, an increase of 4 over the previous map.
Tangent
Major court challenges to new congressional maps have largely favored Republicans. The GOP notably captured a win in New York, where a court blocked the state from enacting a new map approved by the Democratic-controlled state legislature.
Further Reading
Florida Judge Blocks DeSantis Redistricting Map That Would Affect Black Voters (Forbes)
Court Reinstates Florida Congressional Map Eliminating Black District (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/06/02/florida-congressional-map-eliminating-black-district-will-stand-court-rules/