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The Florida legislature approved this Wednesday the new congressional redistricting map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis, in a almost strictly partisan vote that could shift the balance of power in the federal House of Representatives ahead of the November 2026 elections.
The state House approved the map with 83 votes in favor and 28 against, and the Senate ratified it by 21 to 17, sending it to the governor for signing. The new design would give Republicans a 24 to four advantage in the state's 28 congressional districts, compared to the current 20-8, representing a net gain of four seats for the Republican Party.
The process was extraordinarily swift: DeSantis presented the map on Monday, April 27 via official memorandum, public hearings were held on Tuesday with minimal citizen participation, and both chambers approved it just 48 hours later.
The most affected Democratic districts include that of Representative Darren Soto in Osceola and south Orlando, which would shift from a Democratic advantage of 3.50% to a Republican lead of 17.71%, and Lois Frankel's district, which would change from 5.55% favorable to Democrats to 10.47% favorable to Republicans.
The Democrats would retain only four districts, all located in central and south Florida.
The approval came just an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Louisiana v. Callais that a majority-black district in Louisiana was unconstitutional, significantly weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and removing one of the main legal tools that Democrats would have used to challenge the map in federal courts.
DeSantis has defended the initiative by arguing demographic imbalances. "District 14 had approximately 100,000 fewer votes than the adjacent District 12. The numbers justify it," the governor stated. "It's a matter of fairness," he added.
The Democratic leader in the federal House, Hakeem Jeffries, described the map as "flagrantly illegal and political malpractice" and warned that it violates the 14th Amendment by intentionally diluting the voting power of communities of color. DeSantis responded with irony: "Nothing would be better for Florida Republicans than for voters to see Hakeem Jeffries as the alternative. I welcome him to Florida."
The measure is part of a national strategy led by President Donald Trump, who urged Florida to redraw its districts on Sunday, April 26, especially after the referendum in Virginia where Democrats gained new seats. Florida would be the eighth state to modify its maps ahead of November 2026, following Virginia, Utah, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, California, and Texas.
Not all Republicans celebrate the initiative. Congress members Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, Greg Steube, and Daniel Webster fear that their safe seats may be at risk with the new design.
Republican consultant Alex Alvarado concluded that the redistricting would increase competitive seats from four to seven without providing a net gain for the party.
The map also faces the challenge of the Fair Districts Amendment, approved by Florida voters in 2010, which expressly prohibits drawing districts with the intention of favoring a party.
DeSantis argues that this amendment violates the equal protection clause of the federal Constitution. A Common Cause survey from September 2025 showed that 55% of Florida voters oppose mid-decade redistricting, including a plurality of Republicans.
Immediate lawsuits are anticipated in both state and federal courts once DeSantis signs the map.
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