GOP Eyes Last Big Battleground In Redistricting Fight

Florida could be the Republicans’ last stand in the mid-decade redistricting battle, as the state legislature prepares to convene a special session Tuesday to consider new congressional maps.

If approved, the proposed maps could add three to five seats that favor Republicans in the state, according to Politico, potentially shaping the balance of power in a narrowly divided U.S. House.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has criticized the effort, warning Florida Republicans to “F around and find out.”

“If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummymander, the Florida Republicans are going to find themselves in the same situation as Texas Republicans who are on the run right now,” Jeffries said at a Wednesday press conference.

Jeffries also expressed confidence that Democrats will win tough seats in red states, adding, “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.”

“The Republicans are dummymandering their way into the minority before a single vote is cast because they started this war and we’re going to finish it,” he continued.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis laughed off Jeffries’ comments, suggesting that a national campaign by Democrats targeting the Sunshine State would only bolster the GOP.

“There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida to see Hakeem Jeffries everywhere around this state,” DeSantis said, according to Florida Politics. “Please, be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida and campaign. I’ll put you up in the Florida Governor’s mansion. We’ll take you fishing.”

Mid-decade redistricting efforts have rocked numerous states. In California, recent changes are expected to favor Democrats in several districts, while Texas Republicans have approved new maps to strengthen their position.

In Virginia, a Tuesday special election approved changes that could create four more Democrat-leaning seats, though a state circuit court judge has temporarily blocked the results from taking effect pending further legal review, The Daily Wire reported.

When The Daily Wire reached out to DeSantis’ office for further comment, a spokesperson simply stated, “Stay tuned!”

At the state level, Democrats in Florida are also pushing back on the process. State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith criticized the lack of publicly released maps ahead of the session.

“Just 6 days out from the Florida GOP dummymander and still NO MAPS!” Smith posted to X on Wednesday. “They want rigged Congressional maps that keep Trump’s Republican party in power despite majority opposition from Florida voters.”

Florida’s current congressional delegation includes eight Democrats and 20 Republicans. Nationally, Republicans hold a slim 218-212 majority in the House, with several vacancies and a number of competitive races expected to factor into the chamber’s balance of power. The Cook Political Report ranks 16 House races as “toss-ups,” with 14 contests considered “Lean Democrat” and two as “Lean Republican.”