Florida judge keeps DeSantis-backed congressional map in place for 2026 elections

A Florida circuit judge refused to block a newly adopted congressional map that could yield four additional GOP seats in 2026, signaling that the map will likely stay in place while the ongoing legal challenge over partisan redistricting proceeds. Judge Hawkes said delaying the map would create election chaos and noted that the state’s election machinery is already underway. The ruling does not decide the core constitutional questions about the map or the Fair Districts amendments; advocates for the challengers vow to keep fighting, potentially up to the Florida Supreme Court, while Republicans celebrate the maintained redraw amid population shifts and a looming federal court landscape.