Florida’s new congressional map survived a legal challenge this week when the state Supreme Court declined to block it, keeping the districts in place for the 2026 midterms and handing a clear win to Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers who pushed the plan through. A lower court judge had earlier weighed timing and constitutional concerns, but the high court’s decision lets the map stand while the case proceeds through the appeals court. The ruling keeps primary plans intact and sets the stage for a contentious election cycle in which Republicans aim to expand their congressional advantage. The dispute centers on allegations of racial intent and partisan gerrymandering, but for now the enacted 2026 map remains the operative plan.
In late May, a circuit judge reviewed consolidated lawsuits from voting rights groups that sought a temporary injunction to block the new map before the August 18 primary. That judge expressed concern about changing the rules so close to a primary and flagged questions around the prior 2022 20th Congressional District in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court guidance. The court emphasized the practical effects of intervening late in the election calendar, suggesting the risk to election administration was real and meaningful.
“Plaintiffs’ evidence focuses on challenging the constitutionality of the 2026 map, but does not sufficiently challenge the political branches’ finding that CD-20 in the 2022 map was drawn with impermissible racial intent,” the judge wrote, while adding that “Plaintiffs’ evidence at this stage is insufficient to support the permissibility of this Court forcing the 2022 map onto the electorate in contravention of the duly enacted 2026 map.”
The plaintiffs, including Common Cause and Equal Ground Education Fund, appealed and asked the Florida Supreme Court to step in. On Tuesday, the high court announced it would not impose an immediate halt and instead directed the First District Court of Appeal to consider the case’s merits first. That decision means the new districts will be used for the upcoming midterm cycle while the legal fight continues at the appellate level.
The new congressional district map will remain in effect for the midterm elections, after the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a push to block the new configuration.
In a 6-1 ruling, the court determined the First District Court of Appeal should consider the merits of the case before it weighs in on the matter. Equal Ground Education Fund and two other voting rights groups brought the case alleging the new districts were drawn to favor the Republican Party, a violation of the state’s anti-gerrymandering law, but the First DCA didn’t grant a temporary injunction while the underlying case is pending.
“At this time, we do not have jurisdiction over that matter, and we do not simply assume that the First District’s decision will provide an appropriate basis for this Court’s review,” the court ruling states.
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Although the underlying case will still progress through the court process, the maps will remain in place.
Governor DeSantis took the ruling as a victory and shared his reaction publicly on social media, underscoring the political significance for Republicans statewide. His response reflected confidence that the new lines will hold up and that Republicans are positioned to defend and expand their delegation. With party control of Congress at stake in 2026, keeping the map intact is a strategic win for the state GOP.
Republicans now hold 20 of Florida’s 28 House seats, and the new map could swing up to four additional seats their way in the midterms. That projection has transformed the redistricting dispute into a national story because it could influence the balance of power in Washington. The stakes are high for both parties, which is why the legal challenge moved quickly through the courts and drew intense media attention.
The new map has also sparked intra-party and inter-party tensions locally, particularly around the reshuffling of District 20 and neighboring seats. Longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has chosen to run in the reconfigured area, generating friction with other Democrats who were targeting the open seat. Those political maneuvers underscore how redistricting reshapes career calculations and triggers fresh contests even before ballots are cast.
Legal advocates say the underlying case alleging partisan and racial gerrymandering will still be litigated, and the appellate process could bring new rulings. For now, the practical reality is that election officials can move forward with the 2026 plan, candidates can file under the new lines, and campaigns can build strategies around the current map. The broader constitutional and statutory questions, though, will remain alive in court as litigants press both factual and legal theories.
https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2064811177947857197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The decision highlights a familiar tension: courts must protect voting rights and enforce anti-gerrymandering laws while also avoiding disruption to the electoral calendar. In this instance, the state Supreme Court chose stability for the upcoming cycle, leaving the substantive disputes to the appeals process. Republicans will see that outcome as a win for orderly elections and for the voters who will go to the polls under the enacted map.
Observers should expect continued litigation and political fallout as the case winds through the First District Court of Appeal and possibly back to the Florida Supreme Court later. Campaigns and party organizations on both sides will treat every development as potentially decisive for 2026, making this a live issue for months to come.
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