Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map on April 27 that aims to flip four Democratic U.S. House seats in favor of Republicans during the November midterm elections. If passed, this redistricting plan would likely give Republicans 24 of Florida's 28 U.S. House seats, up from their current 20-8 majority.
Key Takeaways
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled a new congressional map on April 27 that aims to flip four Democratic seats in favor of Republicans, potentially giving the GOP 24 out of 28 U.S. House seats from Florida. The state legislature began considering the proposal during a special session starting April 28.
- DeSantis proposed new congressional map targeting four Democratic seats
- If passed, Republicans could gain four additional House seats in November midterms
- Special legislative session started Tuesday to consider the redistricting plan
- Current Florida delegation: 20 Republicans and eight Democrats
The state legislature convened a special session on April 28 to consider DeSantis' proposal. According to NPR and CBS News, Democrats have criticized the plan as partisan gerrymandering. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the process secretive and designed to obstruct fair districts, while Amy Keith of Common Cause Florida stated that such map-rigging violates Florida's constitution.
The proposed redistricting has drawn comparisons to recent political moves in other states. According to The Guardian, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Republicans in Texas on Monday, reinstating a redrawn electoral map there that could flip up to five seats. Meanwhile, California voters approved maps in November that could give Democrats five additional seats.
In Virginia last week, voters narrowly approved a Democratic-backed map targeting four Republican incumbents. The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday regarding challenges to the validity of this ballot measure. As reported by UPI and Fox News, DeSantis defended his proposal in a Fox News interview, stating that 'Our new map for 2026 makes good on my promise to conduct mid-decade redistricting, and it more fairly represents the makeup of Florida today.' Republican Sen. Don Gaetz expects a Senate committee vote on the bill Tuesday.
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