WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new twist in the battle over Florida’s re-drawn Congressional districts: An appeals court in Florida reversed a lower court’s ruling that the map was unconstitutional.

What You Need To Know

  • An appeals court in Florida reversed a lower court’s ruling that the state's congressional map was unconstitutional

  • Experts say the case in Florida and other similar cases in other states could impact whether Republicans continue to hold the House

  • Voting rights groups have put in for an appeal

That’s a victory for the Republican-led state legislature, which drew the maps, and for Governor Ron DeSantis who approved them.

Voting rights groups challenged the approved district lines, saying the map diminished the power of Black voters by dramatically reshaping the district represented by Democrat Al Lawson. 

“It was a strongly Democratic district that had a relatively high percentage of black voters that stretched from Tallahassee to Jacksonville,” said Kyle Kondik with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. 

Lawson ran in a new district, but lost to Republican Neal Dunn. Voting groups filed a lawsuit saying the new district lines violated Florida’s congressional Fair Districts Amendment.

A circuit court judge ruled the map unconstitutional back in September, but now an appeals court has reversed that decision. 

Kondik said it’s hard to say what will ultimately happen. 

“It seems pretty clear that based on Florida law, that this district probably should be restored…but we don’t know how this court is actually going to rule," he said. "And it may end up, you know, protecting the map as currently drawn.” 

A final decision in the case could change the balance of power in the House as Republicans hold a narrow majority.  

“The decision that is ultimately reached in a state like Florida, just one seat, that could ultimately decide the House. I mean, it’s not crazy to suggest that that could be the case,” Kondik said. 

The voting rights groups have already put in for an appeal.