Florida is moving. Gov. Ron DeSantis released a tentative new congressional map Monday that could hand Republicans up to four additional House seats — a counterweight, his allies say, to the gerrymander Virginia voters approved last week.
The proposed map would eliminate four Democratic-leaning districts in central and southern Florida, leaving Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and West Palm Beach as the state’s remaining deep-blue strongholds.
“Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,” DeSantis said in a statement to Fox News Digital, which first reported on the new map.
“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.”
The governor has called a special session of the legislature beginning Tuesday to take up the new boundaries — what’s known as mid-decade redistricting — a rare move since the process ordinarily follows the decennial Census.
A source close to the governor told Fox News Digital that the timing was not reactive.
“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.”
Republicans currently hold 20 of Florida’s 28 House seats. Democrats hold seven. One seat sits vacant following the resignation earlier this month of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
