DeSantis Proposes Congressional Map Adding Four GOP-Leaning Seats
Florida’s governor unveils controversial redistricting plan that Democrats say erases minority representation statewide.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Governor Ron DeSantis released a newly redrawn congressional map on Monday that would add four Republican-leaning seats to the 20 out of 28 districts already represented by Republicans in Florida’s delegation.
The governor first unveiled the proposed map to Fox News before sending it to state lawmakers an hour later, marking the latest development in Florida’s ongoing redistricting process.
Democratic Opposition
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell criticized the proposal during a Zoom conference call, calling it clearly partisan. “They are erasing Democratic representation all across the state,” Driskell said. “It’s clearly so partisan. They are contorting the data, they are contorting the Constitution, to try to do this.”
The proposed map appears to challenge Florida’s Fair District Amendments, which state that no individual district can be drawn “with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.”
DeSantis Defends Redistricting Plan
In a letter to Florida lawmakers, DeSantis argued that federal protections for minority-access districts are likely unconstitutional and that the state’s anti-gerrymandering laws should be bypassed.
“The people of Florida have been deprived of appropriate representation in the U.S. House of Representatives,” DeSantis wrote in the letter.
The governor cited population growth concerns, claiming Florida was undercounted in the 2020 census. “Despite substantial population growth since the 2010 census, which catapulted Florida to the third most populous state in the nation, Florida gained only one additional seat in the House after the 2020 census,” DeSantis stated.
“However, a post-census survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau demonstrated that Florida was shortchanged by more than 760,000 people. This undercount cost Florida at least one additional House seat,” the governor added.
Constitutional Challenges
DeSantis also contended that Florida’s existing congressional map “has been distorted by considerations of race,” referring to language in the Fair District Amendments. The constitutional provision requires that “districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice.”
The proposed redistricting plan now moves to the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature for consideration. If approved, the new map would significantly alter the state’s political situation and could face legal challenges from voting rights groups and Democratic lawmakers who argue it violates state constitutional requirements for fair redistricting.
