FIRST ON FOX: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed the new redistricted congressional map for the state, which shows the GOP gaining an extra four seats.
Should the state legislature, which holds a Republican majority in both the state House and Senate, approve the redrawing, it would then return to DeSantis to be signed into law and would apply to the 2026 midterms.
“Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,” DeSantis told Fox News Digital. “Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage. Drawing maps based on race, which is reflected in our current congressional districts, is unconstitutional and should be prohibited.”
“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 added.
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Currently, the Florida delegation to Congress is represented by 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with an eighth Democratic seat vacant following the resignation of former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
The redistricted map proposal comes after Virginia recently approved a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts and flip four GOP seats to the Democratic side.
Virginia’s new proposed map was praised by Democrats, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger and former President Barack Obama.
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“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 in a statement. “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.”
Ffity-one and a half percent of Virginia voters approved the amendment last week. Projections show 10 seats that likely will be won by Democrats, and just one by a Republican to represent the entirety of Virginia in Congress.
Currently, Democrats hold six seats in Virginia while Republicans hold five.
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A source familiar with DeSantis’ new map told Fox News Digital that the redistricting proposal isn’t as closely tied to Virginia’s recent sway toward Democratic seats, and that the decision is more related to the population increases.
“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 Digital.
California implemented a similar strategy with the implementation of Prop 50, which temporarily allows the far-left Democratic assembly in the state to draw new congressional maps.
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The new California legislature-drawn maps show Democratic-leaning seats favoring four that were previously held by Republicans, with projections showing Democrats will hold as many as 48 seats in Congress while the GOP could have as few as four.
DeSantis faced opposition from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is the most likely pick to serve as speaker of the House should Democrats take back the majority in November.
“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.
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“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,” Jeffries added.
During a news conference in Florida, DeSantis responded to Jeffries’ comments with an invitation to come down to the Sunshine State and campaign for Democratic congressional candidates, implying the state’s Republican majority would hold strong in the midterm.
“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.”
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“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.
The redistricting fight has been bolstered across red and blue states as both parties attempt to take control of a Congress led by very slim majorities.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., encouraged Florida’s redistricting attempt, saying that the state “has the right to do so.
“Florida has the right and the intention to do it. And my view is that they should,” Johnson said last week.
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