Florida has called a special legislative session at Gov. Ron DeSantis’s request to redraw congressional maps in ways that would further benefit Republicans. The session is timed just before the spring filing deadline and could account for a likely upcoming Supreme Court ruling that may alter how race is treated in redistricting. Observers warn the move could backfire because urban areas, including Miami, have trended more liberal. The initiative is part of a broader, Trump-driven effort that began with pressure on Texas and has prompted legal challenges in several states.
Florida Escalates Trump-Fueled Redistricting Fight With Risky Special Session
Donald Trump appears unsettled by the prospect that Democrats could retake the U.S. House in November’s midterms — a concern he voiced during a Jan. 6 pep talk to House Republicans. Those anxieties have become a catalyst for a widening, Trump-driven fight over congressional maps that is intensifying nationwide.
What Florida Is Doing
On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional districts. The session is scheduled immediately before the spring candidate filing deadline, a timing that could allow lawmakers to factor in an anticipated Supreme Court decision that many experts believe may clear the way for racial considerations in gerrymanders.
The proposed redraw would tighten already GOP-favored lines, a move critics say is aimed at protecting Republican House seats ahead of the midterms.
Why It Could Backfire
Analysts caution the plan is risky. Urban voters across Florida have trended more liberal in recent elections — including in Miami, a city long seen as friendly to the GOP. A heavy-handed redistricting maneuver could energize opposition voters or invite successful legal challenges.
Ron DeSantis during a campaign stop on Jan. 13, 2024 in Atlantic, IA.(Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
Wider National Context
Indiana Republicans rejected a similar Trump-backed push last year, but other states have followed the Texas model pushed by the Trump administration. In that case, officials pressured Texas to adopt a new congressional map that increased Republican-leaning districts and diluted Black voters’ collective influence.
States including Missouri and North Carolina have pursued GOP-friendly maps and now face legal challenges and potential referendums. California is the only Democratic-led state so far to have approved new maps in response to the Republican initiative, after voters authorized changes in November.
Moves In Blue States
Democrats are also advancing related measures. In Virginia, the General Assembly is expected to vote on a constitutional amendment to permit mid-decade redistricting, which would later go to voters. In Washington state, Democrats introduced a bill to place a ballot question about mid-decade redistricting — a symbolic move signaling priorities if they win greater legislative control after November.
Bottom Line: Florida’s special session is the latest front in a national redistricting battle driven by Republican concerns about losing the House. The strategy could shore up GOP seats — if courts and voters don’t intervene — but missteps or legal setbacks could produce political backlash.
Originally published on MS NOW. Reporting referenced Stateline, NBC News, and Politico.
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