The nationwide mid-decade redistricting battle appears to be entering its final stretch, with major developments unfolding in Florida, Texas, and Virginia.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday unveiled his proposed congressional map that could add up to four GOP- leaning seats, as lawmakers prepare to take up the plan during a special session that kicks off on Tuesday.
“Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,” DeSantis told Fox News. “Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage. Drawing maps based on race, which is reflected in our current congressional districts, is unconstitutional and should be prohibited.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Texas’s congressional map to move forward, shooting down a lower court ruling that had blocked it over claims of race-based gerrymandering. The map is expected to produce five Republican-leaning seats, according to the Texas Tribune, and the high court had previously signaled in December that it was likely to allow the plan to stand.
“This was an intentional effort to limit the power of people of color in a state known for going to extremes to suppress the vote,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “It is one of the most blatant examples yet of modern-day racial gerrymandering, under the thin guise of partisanship.”
In Virginia, the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a closely watched case that could determine the fate of a newly approved congressional map. Voters last week narrowly backed a constitutional amendment that would shift the state’s delegation from a 6-4 split to a 10-1 Democratic advantage.
If the Virginia court blocks the new map, it could significantly alter the broader redistricting fight and determine which party will come out on top.
“Hang in there. This isn’t over in Virginia, and that’s just the Virginia chapter,” former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican, told The Daily Wire. “I think there’s a lot of regret across the country about the redistricting play in Virginia.”
With Republicans holding a narrow 218-212 majority in the House, and five seats currently vacant, the outcome of these redistricting battles will play a decisive role in determining control of Congress.
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