Florida GOP Speaker Says White House Isn’t Pressuring Redistricting, Will Begin Talks After State Court Ruling

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez said Wednesday he has not been pressured by the White House to pursue a mid-decade congressional redistricting effort, and that the House’s work is a response to a Florida Supreme Court ruling last summer that altered parts of the state's redistricting standards.

Speaker Rejects Outside Pressure

In an interview with POLITICO, Perez, a Republican from Miami, insisted he has had no direct or indirect conversations with the White House about mid-decade maps. “I am not being pushed by outside forces to push redistricting,” Perez told POLITICO. He added that the House believes redistricting is an appropriate topic for discussion given the court decision.

Timing Dispute With Governor and Senate Leader

While Perez said the House has not yet begun drawing a new map, he rejected calls from Gov. Ron DeSantis and Senate President Ben Albritton to wait until 2026. Albritton and DeSantis have urged caution while awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case concerning whether states may consider race in drawing districts. Albritton told reporters it makes sense to wait and gather additional information, but Perez countered that the House can at least start conversations now.

“We can start to get the ball rolling. We don’t have a map. We haven’t started to draw a map, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t start to have that conversation.” — House Speaker Daniel Perez

Committee Review and Legal Questions

The House redistricting committee met for a second time this month to review recent court decisions; the panel did not take public testimony. Committee members were told the Legislature would rely on 2020 census data if it moves forward. Andy Bardos, an attorney representing the House, said the Florida Supreme Court’s decision provided additional clarity about how maps should be drawn but noted that the rulings have not been applied uniformly across all districts.

Political Stakes and Voter-Protective Rules

Florida is a prime target for mid-decade redistricting efforts: after the 2022 map pushed into law by Gov. DeSantis, Republicans hold a 20–8 advantage in the state's congressional delegation. Some Republicans see an opportunity to gain three to five additional seats in upcoming elections.

But Florida also has voter-approved anti-gerrymandering standards that bar maps drawn strictly for partisan advantage and include minority-protection provisions modeled on the Voting Rights Act. Civil-rights and voting-rights groups challenged the current map on grounds it dismantled a north Florida district that had linked minority communities from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. The Florida Supreme Court concluded that the old seat failed to meet equal protection standards under the U.S. Constitution.

Democratic Skepticism

Democratic lawmakers remain skeptical about the need to act now. State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell accused GOP lawmakers of pursuing redistricting to satisfy political aims. “[The Legislature] wants to do this because they want to satisfy Donald Trump,” Driskell said, asserting that the goal is to secure a partisan advantage in the midterms.

The dispute sets up a possible legal and political fight over timing, intent and legal standards should lawmakers move ahead. The House intends to begin conversations and preparatory work, while some state leaders prefer to await higher-court guidance.