Grand Theft America / Receipt power-2026-06-10-124
Florida's supreme court lets the Republican-drawn House map run in the midterms
The Florida supreme court allowed new US House districts drawn by Republicans to be used in the midterm elections, denying in a 6-1 decision the request of voters who sued for a temporary injunction without ruling on the merits.
What happened
The court said the judges lacked jurisdiction to intervene while the lawsuit plays out in the lower courts. Attorneys for the voters had argued the new districts violate a state constitutional prohibition on partisan gerrymandering. The districts were signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis after a two-day special legislative session and could improve Republican chances of winning four additional seats this year in a state where the party already holds 20 of 28 US House seats. Florida's legislature approved the map on 29 April, the same day the US supreme court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections while striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana.
Why it matters
The map now governs an election that will be held before any court rules on whether it is lawful, so the remedy, if one comes, arrives after the seats are filled. The Guardian reports Florida is one of several Republican-led states that have undertaken mid-decade redistricting as part of Donald Trump's plan to try to hold on to a slim House majority in November.
Receipt details
- Phase 3
- Capture the machinery of the vote
- Redraw the maps mid-decade
