Ron DeSantis and Florida GOP approve new map limiting Black votes

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Ron DeSantis’ new congressional map was approved on Thursday by Florida’s House of Representatives in one of the most racially biased redistricting efforts in the country, according to analysis from poll tracker FiveThirtyEight.

The GOP-controlled House voted in favor of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposed map which will eliminate two districts held by African American Democrats.

Ron DeSantis’ new maps will allow Republicans to gain four new seats, according to the analysis by FiveThirtyEight, while Democrats are likely to lose three of the seats they currently hold.

Ron DeSantis steals Black Floridians voice.

According to Newsweek, FiveThirtyEight reported 18 of the proposed districts have a partisan lean of +5 or more for Republicans, while eight seats have a partisan lean of +5 or more for Democrats and the remaining two are highly competitive.

FiveThirtyEight’s senior elections analyst Nathaniel Rakich said, “This is about as big of a Republican bias that Florida’s congressional map could have — and darn close to the most egregiously partisan map in the country.”

 Much like DeSantis’ new plan, sit-in’s evoke memories of the civil rights era.

Democratic lawmakers resisted the Ron DeSantis approved congressional map until the final moments on Thursday, staging a sit-in on the floor before the final vote. Democrats blasted the map as unconstitutional and admonished GOP lawmakers for acquiescing to the governor per NPR.

“When Black votes are under attack, what do we do? Stand up. Fight back,” members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus shouted as Republican lawmakers filed out and Democrats began their protest. “We will occupy this floor. We will not be denied.”

The map will give Republicans a 20-8 seat advantage in a state where registered Democratic and Republican voters are nearly equal in number.

On a day when Ron DeSantis “Made Florida Great Again” by targeting Black people and Disney, he warns his opponents and reinforces to his rabid supporters that culture wars have real-life consequences. And with copycat GOP lawmakers across the country, this could only be the beginning.