Appeals court reinstates DeSantis Congress map

A new congressional map drawn by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff that could diminish the state’s Black representation in Washington was reinstated by an appeals court Friday, a week after a lower court judge said the map was unconstitutional.

The 1st District Court of Appeals ruled Judge Layne Smith erred when he ordered a replacement map be used for the 2022 election. The latest order means the governor’s map is reinstated pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the map.

While the appeals court didn’t address the constitutionality of the map, it did cite “the need for certainty and continuity as election season approaches.” The ruling comes as the state gets closer to the June 13 to 17 qualifying period for federal office.

“To avoid uncertainty and confusion in the upcoming 2022 primary and general elections, it’s important to move forward expeditiously to implement the congressional map passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor,” DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said in an email.