A judge has denied an attempt to block Florida’s new congressional maps before they proceed to the courts. The ruling will likely keep the new maps in place through the midterms.
In his ruling, Second Judicial Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes, who was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, said it’s premature to block the maps passed by lawmakers earlier this month.
Voting rights groups argue the maps were drawn for partisan reasons and violate the state constitution.
Amy Keith is with Common Ground, one of the groups suing over the maps.
“This fight is not over. We will continue fighting in court, and we want Floridians to also know that they should keep making their voices heard on this as well. This is a power grab to try to steal power from the will of the people, and we will be there, standing with Floridians every step of the way,” she said.
The redraw makes 24 of Florida’s 28 congressional seats Republican leaning and comes at the same time as a national push led by President Donald Trump to draw new congressional districts in an attempt to hold control of the U.S. House.
The maps were drafted by Governor Ron DeSantis’ office and approved by the Republican-controlled legislature. Their legal representatives contend the map was not exclusively drawn for partisan reasons.