In late May, RedState covered a significant court decision involving lawsuits from progressive groups aiming to prevent Florida’s newly proposed congressional map from being implemented before the 2026 midterm elections.
Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes, in this decision, refused the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary injunction. He expressed that overturning the state’s plan so close to Florida’s primary on August 18th would be problematic. Additionally, Judge Hawkes raised issues regarding the state’s 20th Congressional District in the context of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais.
The judge remarked, “Plaintiffs’ evidence challenges the constitutionality of the 2026 map but falls short of contesting the political branches’ determination that CD-20 in the 2022 map was crafted with an impermissible racial motive.” He further noted, “The plaintiffs’ current evidence does not justify this Court mandating the 2022 map in place of the legally established 2026 map.”
