Florida’s governor is making a move that has Washington on edge. Ron DeSantis has put forward a congressional redistricting proposal that, if it clears the state Legislature and lands back on his desk, could add four Republican seats to the U.S. House before voters head to the polls in 2026.
The plan now sits before Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature. Lawmakers must act first before DeSantis can sign it into law.
DeSantis pointed directly to population data as the driving force behind the new boundaries. “Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,” he told Fox News Digital.
The state’s rapid growth, DeSantis argued, has fundamentally changed its political landscape. “Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage,” he said.
Beyond population, the governor took direct aim at the legal foundation of the existing maps. “Drawing maps based on race, which is reflected in our current congressional districts, is unconstitutional and should be prohibited,” DeSantis stated.
He framed the proposal as the delivery of a promise made earlier in his tenure. “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,” the governor added.
At present, Florida sends 20 Republicans and seven Democrats to Washington. One Democratic seat sits empty after former Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick stepped down.
Someone with direct knowledge of the governor’s planning pushed back on the idea that events elsewhere triggered the Florida effort. “The governor has been planning this long before what took place in Virginia, and continues to be adamant that Floridians deserve fair representation that accurately reflects the state’s changing population and demographics,” the source told Fox News.
Florida is hardly the only state where district lines are being contested. Virginia voters recently approved a constitutional amendment handing state lawmakers the authority to redraw congressional boundaries, with analysts projecting the change could cost Republicans four seats.
Governor Abigail Spanberger framed the Virginia result as a rebuke of outside pressure. “Virginia voters have spoken, and tonight they approved a temporary measure to push back against a President who claims he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress,” Spanberger said.
She continued: “Virginians watched other states go along with those demands without voter input — and we refused to let that stand. We responded the right way: at the ballot box.”
The amendment cleared with 51.5 percent support. Virginia’s delegation currently splits six Democrats to five Republicans, though projections now suggest Democrats could claim ten of the state’s eleven seats.
California entered the mix as well. Under Proposition 50, the Democrat-run Legislature gained authority to redraw the state’s congressional map. Early projections indicate the party could absorb four Republican-held districts and grow its congressional footprint to as many as 48 seats, potentially shrinking the Republican presence to just four.
Back in Florida, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries came out swinging. “Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out,” Jeffries said. “If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummymander, the Florida Republicans are gonna find themselves in the same situation as Texas Republicans, who are on the run right now.”
Jeffries also weighed in on other states in play. “Under no circumstances are Texas Republicans picking up five seats. They’ll be fortunate if they get two or three. While in California, we are going to get all five,” he added.
DeSantis stepped to the microphone and dared Jeffries to test his theory on Florida soil. “Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign,” DeSantis said. “I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing.”
He kept going. “We’ll do all this stuff. There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries, Hakeem Jeffries, everywhere around this state,” DeSantis added.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stood firmly behind Florida’s effort, calling the state’s authority to act beyond question. “Florida has the right and the intention to do it. And my view is that they should,” Johnson said last week.
With narrow majorities hanging in the balance, the redistricting fights spreading across Florida, Virginia, California, and Texas have become one of the most consequential front lines in the battle for control of Congress heading into the 2026 midterms.
