TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a swift reversal of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bold political gambit, a Leon County Circuit Court judge on Wednesday threw out the congressional map drawn by the governor and approved by legislators, ruling that it violates the Florida Constitution and ordering a new map drawn by a Harvard expert to be put in place.
“I am finding that the enacted map is unconstitutional under the Fair Districts Amendment Article 3, Section 20, because it diminishes the African Americans’ ability to select the representative of their choice,” Judge Layne Smith said in a ruling from the bench after a four-hour hearing. He was referring to the anti-gerrymandering provisions of the state Constitution that prevent the state from enacting redistricting maps that diminish minority voting rights.
Smith, who was appointed to the court by DeSantis, said it would be up to lawmakers to decide if they want to enact a new map when the Legislature convenes for a weeklong special session May 23. But in an effort to get precincts set for candidates to qualify, he ordered a map drawn by the plaintiffs’ expert, Harvard professor Stephen Ansolabehere, to replace the one approved by the governor and Legislature.
