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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday unveiled a proposed congressional map that could give Republicans up to four additional U.S. House seats, launching a high-stakes mid-decade redistricting effort ahead of the November elections.
The proposal, released by the governor’s office, would create 24 Republican-leaning districts and four Democratic-leaning districts. Florida’s current delegation includes 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with one seat recently vacated following a Democratic resignation.
DeSantis has called lawmakers into a special legislative session beginning Tuesday to consider the new map, which he said reflects the state’s current political makeup.
“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,” DeSantis said in an interview.
It remains unclear whether the governor has formally submitted the proposal to the legislature.
The effort places Florida at the center of a broader national redistricting battle that has intensified ahead of the midterms, as both parties seek to gain an edge in the closely divided House. The push follows similar moves in states like Texas and California, where lawmakers redrew maps outside the traditional once-a-decade cycle tied to the U.S. census.
Republicans argue that revisiting district lines is justified to reflect political shifts, while Democrats have accused the GOP of attempting to engineer electoral advantages.
Florida’s redistricting effort is expected to face immediate legal challenges. The state’s constitution prohibits partisan gerrymandering, creating potential hurdles for any map perceived as favoring one party.
Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, criticized the proposal as “unconstitutional gerrymandering,” while Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power defended the effort, arguing that more compact districts would benefit GOP candidates.
The political dynamics are further complicated by recent election results. Democrats flipped two Republican-held state legislative seats earlier this year, raising questions about whether redrawing districts could inadvertently make some GOP strongholds more competitive.
DeSantis has also suggested that changes to the map may be necessary to address what he described as racial considerations in the current districts. However, such changes could depend on future rulings related to the federal Voting Rights Act, and no such decision has yet been issued.
The special session had initially been scheduled for April 20 but was delayed by a week. In addition to redistricting, lawmakers are expected to consider proposals related to school vaccine requirements and regulations on artificial intelligence.
Mid-decade redistricting remains unusual, as states typically redraw congressional maps only once every 10 years following the census. But the practice has gained traction after President Donald Trump encouraged Republican-led states to revisit district lines ahead of the midterms.
That push has triggered a chain reaction nationwide, with both parties attempting to offset each other’s gains in a growing contest that could ultimately determine control of the House.
