A federal judge in Florida has handed Governor DeSantis his first victory in his long-simmering dispute with the Disney company, throwing out the company’s lawsuit accusing him of punishing it for denouncing his so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Disney’s claims against Mr. DeSantis and the secretary of Florida’s commerce department “fail on the merits,” a Florida judge, Allen Winsor, ruled on Wednesday. The company argued that changes to a special improvement district, in which it operates its parks and resort, were in retaliation to its criticism of 2022 education law backed by Mr. DeSantis.

That legislation generated criticism for limiting school classroom discussion in elementary schools of sexual orientation and gender identity in the name of protecting parental rights. After Disney joined the chorus of critics last year, the Florida legislature changed the structure of the district in which it operates so that the governor picks its board members.

While running for the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. DeSantis lauded his education legislation. Though he stepped out of the race for the White House, he scored a legal win in his home state as his education policy remains alive and well.

A Disney spokesman told CNBC that though Judge Winsor has tossed out the suit, “it will not end here.” They pledged to proceed with the case, fearing that if “left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with.”