Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans took a big hit this weekend.
Judge J. Lee Marsh, a Republican-appointed judge, put Ron DeSantis’ redrawn district maps on hold.
Marsh stated that the new maps diminish the ability of minority voters to elect a representative.
Bad Lines
Right smack dab in the middle of the case was former Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL).
With the new maps in play in 2022, Lawson got smoked in the newly drawn district, losing his race by 20 points.
This, of course, has led to speculation as to why Republicans did so well in the 2022 election.
Now, there is a Supreme Court precedent on this matter from 1995.
Race cannot be the sole deciding factor in drawing the lines, but it can be one of the factors that dictate gerrymandering.
In the decision issued by Marsh, it sounded, at least to me, that he was basing his ruling more on race than anything else.
For that reason, I think this case will get overturned on appeal or at the Supreme Court level.
For now, however, it puts everything on hold while the legal process plays out.
Let’s just hope this case fall in DeSantis’ favor before th 2024 election takes place.
Source: Fox News