{"id":2607114,"date":"2026-05-26T19:56:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T23:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-judge-upholds-new-gop-congressional-map\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T19:59:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T23:59:05","slug":"florida-judge-upholds-new-gop-congressional-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-judge-upholds-new-gop-congressional-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida judge upholds new GOP congressional map"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflorida-judge-upholds-new-gop-congressional-map%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2607114&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Florida circuit judge, Joshua Hawkes, refused to pause implementation of the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-challenges-californias-prop-50-map-in-escalating-fight-over-house-majority\/\" title=\"DOJ challenges California\u2019s Prop 50 ... in escalating fight over House majority\">newly approved congressional district map<\/a>, a move backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. The map is expected to increase Republican advantage in multiple districts ahead of upcoming elections.<\/p>\n<p>Groups suing to block the map argued it violates Florida\u2019s constitutionally banned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-who-claims-to-oppose-gerrymandering-funnels-300000-to-democratic-gerrymandering-group\/\" title=\"Pelosi, Who Claims to Oppose Gerrymandering, Funnels 0,000 to Democratic Gerrymandering Group\">partisan gerrymandering<\/a>, calling it an especially clear instance of unconstitutional political intent.But Hawkes said the plaintiffs had not yet shown enough evidence of prohibited intent at this stage and noted concerns about disrupting district lines so close to Election Day, which could confuse voters and election administrators.<\/p>\n<p>Even with the denial, the judge indicated courts could revisit the issue later as the broader challenge proceeds. Florida Republicans celebrated the decision,while challengers-including Common Cause Florida and the Southern Poverty Law Center-said they will keep fighting in the courts,with the ruling already being appealed and likely headed to the Florida Supreme Court. The legal dispute is also occurring amid recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have narrowed aspects of redistricting and Voting Rights Act enforcement,adding complexity to the case.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"159\">Florida<\/a> judge blocked an effort to temporarily halt the use of a newly approved <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gerrymandering\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"5304\">congressional map<\/a>, dealing another setback to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrat\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"475\">Democrats<\/a> seeking to stop the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/voting-rights-group-warns-ca-redistricting-push-could-undermine-trust-in-il\/\" title=\"Voting rights group warns CA ... push could undermine trust in IL\">latest redistricting push<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes, an appointee of Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ron-desantis\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"575\">Ron DeSantis<\/a> (R-FL), denied requests from multiple groups to pause implementation of the map, which is expected to strengthen <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"926\">Republican<\/a> advantages in several districts.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4582234\/spencer-pratt-files-complaint-against-karen-bass\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spencer Pratt files complaint against Karen Bass<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4581910\/jon-ossoff-keisha-lance-bottoms-team-up\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms team up to campaign as GOP competitors head to runoffs<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4582193\/redistricting-push-south-carolina-fails-state-legislature-bails\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Redistricting push in South Carolina fails after state Senate bails<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe primary is less than three months away, and the general less than six months away. The public interest weighs more in favor of certainty than a haphazard judicial mandate of discarded maps,\u201d Hawkes wrote in his ruling.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeSantis signed the congressional map into law <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4553897\/desantis-signs-new-congressional-maps-netting-gop-4-seats\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4553897\/desantis-signs-new-congressional-maps-netting-gop-4-seats\/\">earlier this month<\/a> during a special session of the Florida legislature. The map could shift as many as four Democratic-leaning districts to Republicans in a state where the GOP already holds a commanding advantage, with 20 of Florida\u2019s 28 congressional districts favoring the Republican Party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Groups challenging the map argue the proposal, crafted by DeSantis\u2019s office and approved by Republican lawmakers, violates Florida\u2019s constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is just about as clear-cut an example of prohibited partisan gerrymandering as one could think of,\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/voting-rights-groups-appeal-ruling-florida-voting-map\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/voting-rights-groups-appeal-ruling-florida-voting-map\/\">said<\/a> Brad Heard, deputy legal director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the groups behind the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hawkes, however, said the plaintiffs failed to provide sufficient evidence at this stage that the map was drawn with unconstitutional partisan intent. He also emphasized the proximity of the elections, arguing that changing district lines so close to voting could create confusion for both voters and election officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While declining to block the map for now, Hawkes noted that his ruling does not prevent courts from revisiting the issue after the broader legal challenge is considered on the merits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida Republicans quickly celebrated the decision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet\u2019s roll!\u201d DeSantis wrote in a<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RonDeSantis\/status\/2059363850097467751\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RonDeSantis\/status\/2059363850097467751\"> post<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also praised the ruling, taking aim at Democratic election attorney Marc Elias.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOnce again, we beat Marc Elias,\u201d Uthmeier<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AGJamesUthmeier\/status\/2059361096952148086\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AGJamesUthmeier\/status\/2059361096952148086\"> posted<\/a> on X. \u201cFlorida\u2019s new <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >congressional district maps stand<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ruling is already <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/voting-rights-groups-appeal-ruling-florida-voting-map\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/voting-rights-groups-appeal-ruling-florida-voting-map\/\">being appealed<\/a> and is expected to eventually reach the Florida Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4460164\/trump-endorsement-tracker-gop-2026-election-primaries\/\"><strong>TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TRACKER: HERE\u2019S WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS PICKED IN GOP MIDTERM ELECTION PRIMARIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will continue our fight to protect the will of Floridians who overwhelmingly voted to ban partisan gerrymandering in this state,\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/voting-rights-groups-appeal-ruling-florida-voting-map\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/presscenter\/voting-rights-groups-appeal-ruling-florida-voting-map\/\">said<\/a> Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. \u201cBecause Floridians of all political backgrounds are so clearly against partisan gerrymandering, we will exhaust all legal options to make sure a map this partisan does not last the rest of this decade.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The legal fight is further complicated by recent U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"203\">Supreme Court<\/a> decisions limiting the role of race in redistricting cases and narrowing key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, even as Florida\u2019s Constitution separately prohibits partisan gerrymandering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Florida judge blocked halting a new congressional map, thwarting Democrats\u2019 redistricting bid<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2607115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26065808153651.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[71861,33740,5113,6203,32570],"class_list":["post-2607114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-congressional-redistricting","tag-court-ruling","tag-florida","tag-gop","tag-voting-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26065808153651.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2607114"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2607118,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607114\/revisions\/2607118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2607115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2607114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2607114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2607114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}