TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Voting rights groups will challenge Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ overtly partisan congressional map all the way to the Florida Supreme Court, if necessary, after a circuit court judge declined to stop implementation of new districts in advance of the 2026 midterms.
Common Cause, the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) and Democracy Defenders Fund, have sued to get the recently passed, overtly partisan congressional map thrown out. Today, a circuit court judge declined to stop the new map from going into effect before this year’s elections.
You can view the ruling here.
“Forcing voters to accept rigged election maps undermines the democratic process in which Floridians overwhelmingly rejected the use of partisan gerrymandering,” said Bradley Heard, deputy legal director, SPLC. “While this map unfortunately remains in place for now, it by no means changes the reality that this is an unconstitutional gerrymander under the Fair Districts Amendments that the people passed in 2010. The ruling will not shake our resolve to prove as much in court, nor will it prevent the SPLC from continuing to advocate for fair representation in government for every Floridian.”
“We will continue our fight to protect the will of Floridians who overwhelmingly voted to ban partisan gerrymandering in this state,” said Amy Keith, executive director, Common Cause Florida. “Because 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.”
“Florida voters spoke clearly in 2010 when they made partisan gerrymandering illegal under the state constitution,” said Jessica Lowe-Minor, president, LWVFL. “While the League of Women Voters of Florida is disappointed that today’s decision won’t halt the immediate implementation of the new maps drawn in defiance of the Fair Districts standards, we know that this ruling represents only a short part of a long journey to ensure that the will of the voters is respected.”
“While we are disappointed by today’s decision, this case is far from over,” said Marcia Johnson, chief of activation and justice, League of Women Voters (LWV). “Floridians voted overwhelmingly to reject partisan gerrymandering, and we will not allow politicians to undermine those protections for political gain. As attacks on fair representation intensify nationwide, the League of Women Voters will continue leading the fight for maps that respect voters’ voices and constitutional rights.”
“This outcome represents a troubling erosion of our democracy at the state level,” said Andrew Warren, deputy director of litigation, Democracy Defenders Fund. “When state leaders redraw electoral maps to entrench their own political power with little judicial restraint, it defies the will of the people who outlawed partisan gerrymandering. As long as Tallahassee tramples on our rights, we will continue to defend the rule of law.”
“Our communities deserve maps that empower diverse voices through fair representation, not silence them,” said Juan Proaño, CEO, LULAC. “We will continue to challenge any attempts to deny Floridians an equal and meaningful opportunity to be heard.”
“Today’s ruling is disappointing, but it is not the end of this fight,” said Chris Shenton, senior counsel for voting rights, SCSJ. “Florida voters made their will clear when they banned partisan gerrymandering in their state constitution. Floridians deserve maps that reflect their voice and their votes, not maps drawn to silence them for partisan purposes.”
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