(WSVN) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida may join other states in redrawing its congressional maps, as he believes the state was shortchanged in the most recent census.
The governor said he wants a mid-decade redistricting ahead of next year’s midterms.
“I do think it would be appropriate to do a redistricting here in the mid-decade,” said DeSantis.
The governor’s comments come as redistricting battles heat up across the country. Republicans in Texas have proposed new maps to redraw their state, and now the Sunshine State could be next.
“I also think the way the population has shifted around Florida, just since the census was done in 2020, I think the state is malapportioned,” said DeSantis.
But critics disapprove of the move, and they’re gearing up for a new wave of legal battles.
“Donald Trump has ordered [Texas Gov.] Greg Abbott and compliant Texas Republicans to race back to Austin, have a special session in order to rig the congressional map,” said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader.
If DeSantis moves forward with the redistricting, it would break the tradition of only redrawing maps after a new census is completed, which happens every decade.
Florida Republicans already hold a 20-8 edge over Democrats in the state. In recent years, when the state redrew its map, DeSantis muscled through a map that helped Republicans pick up four additional seats.
The map faced various legal challenges, but it was upheld earlier this month.
“There may be more defects that need to be remedied,” said DeSantis.
Florida state Democrats, like State Sen. Shevrin Jones, call the proposal by DeSantis a power grab.
“All of these things and this power grab that the Republicans are doing right now, not just in Florida but across the country,” he said.
Jones added that the mid-decade redraw is just a means for Republicans to fend off a tough midterm election in 2026.
“The governor is talking about redoing the census and redrawing the map because he didn’t get the political outcome that he wanted. This isn’t about fairness or accuracy. It’s about power,” he said.
However, national Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson said he is bullish on Republicans’ chances.
“I am confident that when it comes to these congressional seats, we can win any seat in any district in America, because we have a great story to tell in the midterm election, and I’m very bullish about the outcome, regardless of how the redistricting comes out,” said Johnson.
The last census started in 2020 under the first Trump administration. The next one will happen in 2030.
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