Florida legislature approves new congressional map which could add 4 GOP seats

Florida’s state legislature passed a new congressional map that could help Republicans gain four House seats ahead of November’s midterm election.The map now goes to Republican Gov.Ron DeSantis’s desk for final signoff — delivering a gift for President Trump, a Florida resident, in his quest to keep GOP control over Congress.The vote came a few hours after the Supreme Court issued a decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act.

DeSantis used the case as justification for redrawing Florida’s seats in the middle of the decade.DeSantis praised the Supreme Court decision, saying it “invalidates” the provisions of the Florida Constitution “requiring the use of race in redistricting.”The state legislature approved the map along party lines with Republicans in favor and Democrats against.Currently, Florida has 20 Republicans in its House seats and seven Democrats, with one Democratic-leaning vacant seat.The new map would increase the breakdown to 24 districts favoring the GOP....