Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Florida’s special session to redraw congressional districts may be delayed to the “coming weeks” as deep GOP infighting and the absence of any finalized maps have stalled the effort. DeSantis indicated proposed plans would need tweaks but did not confirm a postponement. Some Republican strategists warn that an aggressive remap could backfire by increasing competitive seats, while party leaders and the White House watch closely.
DeSantis Says Florida Special Redistricting Session May Be Delayed as GOP Infighting Stalls Maps
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed Republican lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional map ahead of the midterms. (Lynne Sladky / AP file)(Lynne Sladky)
Florida’s push to redraw its congressional map hit a snag Tuesday after Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested a special legislative session planned for next week could be postponed to the “coming weeks.” The delay reflects growing tensions between DeSantis and legislative leaders despite unified Republican control of state government.
Key Issue: As of less than a week before the scheduled special session, no formal map proposals had been filed, and Sen. DeSantis indicated any proposed plans would likely require "tweaks." He stopped short of confirming a delay but said the session could be moved.
“I haven’t made any decisions on that, but the answer is it’s possible you could do a little tweak, but you can’t really push it very far,”
DeSantis made the comment at an unrelated bill-signing event in Tallahassee. His office did not respond to follow-up requests for comment.
Why The Delay?
Sources say the primary reason for the potential postponement is procedural: Republican lawmakers had not finalized a single map proposal in the days before the session. Several operatives and advisers — speaking on background — described deep internal disagreements and a lack of sustained work on maps until recently.
“There just isn’t a map that exists right now,” one person familiar with the process said. Another long-time Republican adviser noted that many state legislators are not highly invested in congressional redistricting and would only push back if a proposed map was extreme.
Political Stakes
DeSantis has sought a remap that could add an estimated two to five Republican seats to Florida’s congressional delegation, where Republicans now hold 20 of 28 seats. But some GOP strategists warn aggressive redrawing could backfire in a difficult national environment by making more seats competitive rather than safer for Republicans.
Alex Alvarado, a longtime consultant to Republican causes in Florida, argued in a memo that “aggressive redistricting” could increase the number of competitive congressional seats in the state from four to seven and potentially produce "zero net gain in Republican seats."
Voices From The Party And Beyond
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he supports redrawing districts “if they can figure out a way to do it and do it fair,” urging compliance with the Constitution but stopping short of pushing for an aggressive plan. White House officials have been monitoring the process, and some national Republican operatives remained optimistic that a new map would ultimately be produced.
One longtime Republican operative summarized the friction: “No one is getting along. How can we pass a map when we can’t get anyone to talk about a map?”
Context: The mid-decade redistricting push — championed by national Republicans last year — produced new maps in states such as Texas, North Carolina and Missouri. Democratic-led efforts in other states have sometimes produced gains for Democrats, making Florida one of the last major opportunities for Republicans to try to pick up additional seats before the November elections.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
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