Former [Democratic] Rep. Al Lawson's Florida congressional seat could come back under new agreement
A North Florida congressional district that was held by a Black Democrat before it was dismantled by Ron DeSantis could be restored in 2024 under a new agreement
https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-florida-congressional-district-held-193556755.html
Last year, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature pushed for a congressional map that would gave their party a sizable edge in the 2022 midterms.
But Gov. Ron DeSantis, who's currently running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, wasn't satisfied, submitting a map that dismantled the plurality-Black congressional district of then-Democratic Rep. Al Lawson. The move created surrounding districts that were significantly more Republican. After the Florida Supreme Court left DeSantis' map in place for the 2022 midterms, the GOP picked up four House seats, giving them a commanding 20-8 statewide edge.
But an ongoing legal challenge to the state's congressional maps has produced an
agreement that could restore Lawson's North Florida district for the 2024 election, according to Politico.
An agreement between Florida and the groups challenging the DeSantis-drawn congressional map would not halt litigation over the boundaries, but it would narrow the ongoing suit to Lawson's district. Under the agreement, the plaintiffs would have to end their challenges to districts in the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas, respectively, per the report.
Another lawsuit involving the congressional maps is currently in federal court.