With roughly two months earlier than Florida lawmakers convene for the 2026 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis is making it clear that he expects a brand new congressional map to emerge from the legislature.
“Stay tuned,” DeSantis posted to social media Thursday night time, responding to a publish summarizing Home Speaker Daniel Perez’s declare that redistricting is “not planned.”
Perez, chatting with Politico earlier this week, insisted that there was “no plan yet” to redraw the state’s congressional traces.
“We’re not there yet. We haven’t had that discussion yet,” Perez informed the outlet. “Redistricting hasn’t been a conversation that we’ve had yet.”
“Redistricting fight” by Mike Luckovich
Regardless of these assurances, DeSantis has repeatedly signaled he expects Florida to redraw its traces in a manner that advantages Republicans, additional cementing GOP management of the state’s congressional delegation. Republicans presently maintain a 20-8 benefit within the U.S. Home.
What number of seats Florida may achieve stays unclear. Republican Social gathering of Florida Chair Evan Energy has prompt the state might decide up as many as 5 further seats, whereas DeSantis has claimed, with out proof, that Florida was “gypped” out of an additional congressional seat on account of an unfavorable census underneath the Biden administration.
DeSantis additionally weighed in in a single day on the federal Division of Justice’s objections to California’s redistricting course of, which favors Democrats. The DOJ alleges that race is a major consideration within the California map.
“Courts could nix the CA map on racial gerrymandering grounds, but I bet CA will just say the intent was to partisan gerrymander,” DeSantis posted.
The irony is clear. DeSantis is signaling a partisan gerrymander in Florida whereas criticizing California for doing a lot the identical. The roots of the technique hint again to Texas, the place Republicans, inspired by Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott, redrew congressional maps over the summer time to internet the celebration 5 further Home seats.
The redistricting all began in Texas with Gov. Greg Abbott, taking marching orders from Trump.
California voters responded by approving Proposition 50, a poll measure giving state lawmakers the authority to redraw maps in a bid to counteract the GOP’s benefit.
Florida shouldn’t be Texas, nevertheless, and redistricting carries actual political dangers. Latest Democratic wins in New Jersey and Virginia uncovered sizable swings amongst Hispanic voters, a key constituency for Florida’s GOP in latest election cycles, suggesting that the celebration can not take Republican dominance with no consideration.
Certainly, Democratic wins in these governors’ races illustrated a broader sample of voters reassessing Republican management forward of the 2026 midterms. Republican turnout has flagged in latest elections, and key GOP blocs, notably Hispanic voters, are displaying indicators of dissatisfaction.
Miami Rep. Maria Salazar, a Republican, voiced her issues instantly after Election Day.
“The Hispanic vote is not guaranteed,” she mentioned. “Hispanics married President Trump, but they are only dating the GOP.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has prompt performing some congressional redrawing of his personal.
If Florida Republicans redraw the map, they might be part of different GOP-controlled states enterprise related efforts to guard congressional seats, together with Missouri and North Carolina. Final month, North Carolina Republicans shifted a U.S. Home seat from Democratic to Republican management, whereas different states moved to consolidate GOP energy.
Democrats, in the meantime, are pushing again. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore introduced earlier this month that his workplace will launch an advisory fee to redraw congressional maps in a manner that higher displays voter preferences. Virginia has permitted a constitutional modification giving the governor authority to redraw districts, more likely to take impact after Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s gubernatorial win.
For DeSantis, aggressive map-drawing might backfire. With voter sentiment shifting and Democrats consolidating positive aspects in different states, partisan redistricting in Florida is now not a assured path to expanded GOP management.
