DeSantis’ New Redistricting Gambit May Spectacularly Backfire On GOP, Data Shows

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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ newly proposed redistricting plan aims to net the GOP four seats, but it could backfire if Democrats repeat their recent Sunshine State success in November.

The governor on Monday unveiled a map that would redraw four of the eight Democratic-held House seats in Florida as seats that President Donald Trump carried by at least nine percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. The fact that the once left-for-dead Florida Democrats just picked up a state legislative seat Trump won by double digits, combined with a map that makes many Republican-held seats less safe, could potentially flip an intended four-seat GOP pickup on its head. (RELATED: Florida Rolls Out Congressional Map That Could Erase Virginia Dems’ Gerrymander Advantage)

The Florida State House passed the map by an 83-28 vote Wednesday, the Florida Phoenix reported. The State Senate has indicated it will vote on the map later in the day.

DeSantis rolled out his map just six days after Virginia voters approved a lopsided Democratic gerrymander that will likely result in four seats flipping from red to blue, leaving only one of the state’s 11 seats in the Republican column. The Florida’s governor’s attempt to cancel out the widely-criticized Virginia map is just the latest entrant in an mid-decade redistricting war between both parties that began with Texas’ new map  hat hoped flip five seats red and continued with California’s voter-backed gerrymander that is set to place five Republican seats in the Democratic column.

Unlike the Virginia map that includes several oddly shaped districts, including one many observers say resemble a lobster, the newly proposed Florida map is arguably more compact than the map it is replacing — as it does away with one South Florida seat’s claw-shaped lines.

The pending Florida map specifically targets Democratic Reps. Darren Soto, Kathy Castor, Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz who have served in the House since 2017, 2007, 2023 and 2005 respectively.

DeSantis’ office did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has released a draft congressional map ahead of the state’s special redistricting session. Compared to the current map (left), the new map (right) would eliminate as many as 4 Democratic representatives – 2 in central Florida and 2 in south Florida. pic.twitter.com/rdVKUGQi7M — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) April 27, 2026

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has released a draft congressional map ahead of the state’s special redistricting session.

Compared to the current map (left), the new map (right) would eliminate as many as 4 Democratic representatives –........

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