Florida Democrats sought the aid of the state Supreme Court to put down Republican-friendly maps for the 2022 midterm elections.
However, the Supreme Court declined to terminate those maps, giving Republicans a massive edge for the upcoming elections.
Bad News For Florida Democrats
The state legislature of Florida passed GOP-friendly maps, which gave Republicans an edge in 20 out of the 28 congressional districts.
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis personally praised the maps and appreciated his party’s lawmakers.
However, self-proclaimed voting rights groups and activists noted the newly made maps diluted the power of minority voters and violated the state Constitution.
Most Democrats questioned the elimination of the district of incumbent Democrat Al Lawson.
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT’S
DECISION LEAVES DESANTIS CONGRESSIONAL MAP IN PLACEhttps://t.co/PFjKQafsNr— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) June 2, 2022
House Republicans did not eliminate the district initially, but Governor DeSantis vetoed the maps, thus forcing Republicans to eliminate that district.
The governor claimed the district of Lawson was unconstitutional in the first place, so its elimination was justified. He noted this district was specifically created to let a black representative win his election in the name of diversity.
Thus, most of the black voters in the region were put in one single district to give an unfair advantage to Lawson, DeSantis added.
Once the maps were finalized, a lower court of the state voided them and substituted them with a map created by a Harvard University researcher.
However, the First District Court of Appeals overturned the decision of the lower court, making Republicans’ maps effective once again.
Now, the Supreme Court’s decision not to overturn the high court’s decision gives Republicans the ultimate victory in an important swing state.
Florida Win Made Easy For Republicans
After the 4-1 decision of the state Supreme Court, Democrats are left with no choice but to accept the pro-Republican maps and face the voters in November.
Justice Jorge Labarga was the only one who parted his way with the remaining justices.
He wrote in his verdict that the 2010 vote for a legislative amendment in the state by 62.9% of voters was at stake, so the judges should have intervened in the matter.
Likewise, Labarga asserted the Supreme Court does not lack the right to reverse high-court decisions.
In 2010, an overwhelming number of voters barred lawmakers from disenfranchising any specific group of people from voting. This was the reason the lower court cited while voiding the maps.
Experts believe Republicans were ahead in 16 districts, but their advantage will now expand to 20 districts, giving them a chance to clinch the House in the upcoming elections.
This is not the only state where court decisions against Democrats made them worried about the November elections.
This is Florida's congressional map for the November 2022 election.
Many people confidently predicted a different outcome.
THREAD pic.twitter.com/WUzn8vh1Fy
— Max+ (@MaxNordau) June 2, 2022
Recently, a New York court’s decision to nix Democrats’ gerrymandered maps left Republicans in a favorable position in the high-stakes elections.
Almost one dozen states have their maps in different courts of the country at the moment.
