politics
DeSantis Unveils Florida Redistricting Plan for Four Republican Seats
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed new congressional maps that could add four Republican seats in the 2026 midterms, pending legislative approval. The plan follows recent redistricting developments in other states, including Supreme Court rulings in Texas and ongoing disputes in Virginia.
Apr 27, 1:32 PM·2m read8 sources
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House seats in the November 2026 midterm elections. The map, released ahead of a special legislative session starting April 28, 2026, would adjust district boundaries in response to population changes since the 2020 census.
Florida's population has grown significantly, shifting from a Democratic majority to a 1.5 million Republican voter advantage, DeSantis stated. The current congressional delegation includes 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with one seat vacant after Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned last week amid allegations of misusing federal disaster funds.
Under the proposed map, Democrats could be left with as few as four seats: one in central Florida and three in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach area. DeSantis told Fox News the changes are necessary for fair representation and to prohibit race-based district drawing, which he described as unconstitutional.
“Florida got short-changed in the 2020 census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since. Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage. Jeffries stated Democrats are prepared to challenge Republicans in Florida and announced a $20 million ad spend by the House Majority PAC targeting eight vulnerable Republican incumbents. CJ Warnke, communications director for the House Majority PAC, said the investment puts Florida Republicans on notice and that DeSantis's plan would heighten risks for them. Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, has previously called similar efforts unconstitutional gerrymandering but did not comment immediately on the new proposal. DeSantis responded to Jeffries by inviting him to campaign in Florida, offering to host him and take him fishing, according to reports.”
The Florida proposal comes amid nationwide redistricting battles. The U.S. Supreme Court on April 27, 2026, upheld a Texas map that could add five Republican seats. In Virginia, voters approved a referendum map favoring Democrats in 10 of 11 districts, but a district court judge blocked it last week.
