Florida Supreme Court Backs Ron DeSantis: Redistricting Plan Divides Black Voters into Three GOP Strongholds

The Florida Supreme Court recently delivered a significant victory to Governor Ron DeSantis and the state's Republican leadership in a lawsuit concerning congressional district boundaries. Dominated by DeSantis’ appointees, the court dismissed a challenge regarding the removal of a majority-Black district in northern Florida, previously redrawn by DeSantis in 2022. Although the court recognized that this new map diminishes Black electoral influence, it ruled 5-1 that reinstating the district would constitute racial gerrymandering, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.DeSantis abolished the 5th Congressional District, which historically connected Black communities from Jacksonville to Tallahassee and had been under the representation of a Black official for nearly three decades. Currently, the district is fragmented among three Republican representatives, reinforcing the GOP's 20-to-8 dominance over Democrats for upcoming elections. Critics argue this ruling undermines the judiciary's core responsibility to deliver justice.

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