Judge upholds Florida congressional map amid gerrymandering challenge

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida judge on Tuesday upheld the state’s current congressional map, rejecting arguments from voting rights groups that the districts were drawn to unfairly favor Republicans. 

The ruling keeps in place a map championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

What we know:

Leon County Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes ruled that challengers failed to prove the previous congressional map would remain constitutional if the current one were struck down. 

The lawsuit was brought by Common Cause and Equal Ground Education Fund, along with several voters, who argued the map violated Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment by intentionally benefiting Republicans.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP

The court acknowledged evidence showing partisan considerations were used in drawing the map, including testimony from DeSantis aide Jason Poreda, who said he relied on political data during the process. Still, Hawkes concluded constitutional concerns tied to race-based districts outweighed claims of partisan intent.

The ruling preserves the current congressional map as qualifying for the 2026 elections approaches in June.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how quickly an appeal could move through the courts before the 2026 midterms. Voting rights groups immediately vowed to continue the legal fight, but election deadlines may complicate efforts to redraw districts in time for the next congressional races.

The ruling also leaves unanswered how courts may continue balancing anti-gerrymandering protections with recent federal rulings limiting the use of race in redistricting decisions.

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS

Hawkes’ order did not directly address projections showing Republicans could gain additional congressional seats under the map.

The backstory:

Florida voters approved the Fair Districts Amendment in 2010, adding anti-gerrymandering rules to the state constitution that prohibit lawmakers from drawing maps to favor political parties or incumbents.

The dispute centers in part on a previous South Florida district designed to give Black voters greater representation. Lawyers for DeSantis and legislative leaders argued that district became legally vulnerable after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Louisiana weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act tied to race-conscious districting.

The current map emerged during a broader national battle over congressional redistricting, with Republican- and Democratic-led states alike pursuing maps aimed at strengthening their party’s position in Congress.

Big picture view:

The fight over Florida’s map reflects the growing national stakes surrounding congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House, and even a small shift in seats could determine control of the chamber.

Florida has become one of the key battlegrounds in that effort because of its large congressional delegation and rapidly growing population. Political analysts projected the map could help Republicans gain several seats based on recent election trends.

What they're saying:

"We will continue our fight to protect the will of Floridians who overwhelmingly voted to ban partisan gerrymandering in this state," Common Cause Florida Executive Director Amy Keith said in a statement.

"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," Keith added.

In his ruling, Hawkes wrote: "To the extent the Court has to balance Florida’s FDA prohibition of improper partisan intent and the United States Constitution’s Equal Protection guarantees, it seems clear that the potential partisan intent in the 2026 map is the lesser of the two evils."