Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposes new congressional district map ahead of special session
On Monday, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposed congressional district map ahead of Tuesday’s special session. South Florida congressional districts that are currently held by Democrats are expected to dramatically change.The 22nd Congressional District, which includes a part of Palm Beach County, is currently held by Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel.Under DeSantis’ proposal, Frankel’s district will include a part of Palm Beach and Broward counties, along with all of Hendry County and most of Collier County, and would favor Republicans.Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz’s 23rd Congressional District, which includes parts of southern Palm Beach County and parts of Broward County, will be entirely in Palm Beach County along the central coast and metro parts of the county. That district is projected to favor Democrats.The 20th Congressional District, which was formerly led by Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, will be entirely in central Broward County and favor Democrats. Currently, the district includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.Republican Rep. Brian Mast’s 21st Congressional District appears to be unchanged as it favors the GOP.Republican Rep. Mike Haridopolos’ 8th Congressional District currently includes Indian River and Brevard counties.Under the proposed map by DeSantis, Indian River County is removed from the 8th District and added to the 9th Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Darren Soto.Soto, who is based in Orlando, would see the district include Okeechobee County and Indian River County, among other counties in Central Florida, and would favor Republicans.Okeechobee County would be removed from the 18th Congressional District, currently led by Republican Rep. Scott Franklin of Lakeland.South Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s 25th Congressional District, which currently includes central and southern Broward County, would include coastal southern Palm Beach County, coastal Broward County and northern coastal Miami-Dade County and favor the GOP.Democratic Rep. Kathy Castro’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties in Florida’s Tampa Bay region, including St. Petersburg and Tampa, would favor Republicans.Republicans are projected to gain four congressional districts under the map proposed by DeSantis.The latest: WPBF 25 News coverage on PoliticsFlorida’s proposed redistricting map follows a trend of mid-decade redistricting across the country, which began last year after Republican President Donald Trump encouraged Texas to change its redistricting map to add five congressional districts that favor Republicans.That map was approved by the Texas Republican-led state legislature last August. That led to Democratic-majority states like California and Virginia implementing new congressional district maps.Last November, California matched Texas by creating five additional district seats that favor Democratic candidates after Proposition 50 was approved by voters.Virginia voters approved a redistricting map on April 21 that gave Democrats the advantage in 10 congressional districts and favored Republicans in one congressional district.The map is being challenged in the Virginia Supreme Court.Republican-majority states Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah have also approved redistricting maps.Along with Florida, South Carolina has begun the process of redistricting.Redistricting efforts in Democratic-majority states Washington, Maryland and New York, along with Republican-majority state Indiana, did not pass.The 2026 General Election is expected to be competitive, as currently, Republicans hold a slim lead in the U.S. House of Representatives.Stay updated on the latest political updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.If Republicans retain control of the House, Trump’s agenda will likely move forward during the last two years of his second term as President of the United States.If Democrats win control of the House, they will likely try to block the president’s agenda.Traditionally, redistricting is conducted by states every 10 years after the U.S. Census releases data on the population.Florida approved its recent congressional district map in 2022.Evan Power, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida released the following statement on the proposed redistricting map: “Florida has earned fair representation – and this new congressional map delivers it.After being shortchanged in the 2020 Census under the failed leadership of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and after years of continued population growth driven by Americans fleeing failed blue states, it is long past time for our congressional map to reflect reality.Republicans now hold a more than 1.5 million voter registration advantage in Florida. And our congressional map should reflect the will of the voters who are shaping the future of this state.The current map still carries the fingerprints of a court-imposed, Democrat-driven design that distorts representation and ignores the dramatic changes Florida has experienced. That era should be over.The Republican Party of Florida strongly support this new map and thanks Governor Ron DeSantis for his leadership for bringing it forward. It is fair, it is justified, and it is long overdue.I call on the Legislature to pass the proposed congressional map without delay. Floridians deserve accurate representation, and there is no justification for keeping an outdated map in place any longer.”The Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried released a statement on the proposed redistricting map:“Ron DeSantis didn’t draw this map for Florida, he drew them for the only Floridian he cares about: Donald Trump. He would wilfully break the law and screw over the people of Florida for a morsel of relevance. Today’s map shows nothing but craven contempt for the voters. No one wants this; not the voters, not the legislature. There has been bipartisan opposition to this process for months. No matter what Ron does to try to rig the game, we will fight back.”John Bisognano, the President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), released a statement on the map:“This map is a gerrymander stacked on top of an already egregious gerrymander that silences millions of Floridians and amounts to an abuse of power designed to benefit Donald Trump, DeSantis, and the Republican Party.”“The backroom rollout we saw today exemplifies exactly how little transparency and accountability this process will have, and without anything resembling a sound rationale to justify this redraw, Florida Republicans could not have made it more clear that this is a nakedly partisan maneuver. If they pass this map, Republicans should expect an avalanche of legal challenges.”The special session on redistricting along with Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, Public Records and vaccine administration begins on Tuesday in Tallahassee.
On Monday, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposed congressional district map ahead of Tuesday’s special session.
South Florida congressional districts that are currently held by Democrats are expected to dramatically change.
The 22nd Congressional District, which includes a part of Palm Beach County, is currently held by Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel.
Under DeSantis’ proposal, Frankel’s district will include a part of Palm Beach and Broward counties, along with all of Hendry County and most of Collier County, and would favor Republicans.
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz’s 23rd Congressional District, which includes parts of southern Palm Beach County and parts of Broward County, will be entirely in Palm Beach County along the central coast and metro parts of the county.
That district is projected to favor Democrats.
The 20th Congressional District, which was formerly led by Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, will be entirely in central Broward County and favor Democrats. Currently, the district includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Republican Rep. Brian Mast’s 21st Congressional District appears to be unchanged as it favors the GOP.
Republican Rep. Mike Haridopolos’ 8th Congressional District currently includes Indian River and Brevard counties.
Under the proposed map by DeSantis, Indian River County is removed from the 8th District and added to the 9th Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Darren Soto.
Soto, who is based in Orlando, would see the district include Okeechobee County and Indian River County, among other counties in Central Florida, and would favor Republicans.
Okeechobee County would be removed from the 18th Congressional District, currently led by Republican Rep. Scott Franklin of Lakeland.
South Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s 25th Congressional District, which currently includes central and southern Broward County, would include coastal southern Palm Beach County, coastal Broward County and northern coastal Miami-Dade County and favor the GOP.
Democratic Rep. Kathy Castro’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties in Florida’s Tampa Bay region, including St. Petersburg and Tampa, would favor Republicans.
Republicans are projected to gain four congressional districts under the map proposed by DeSantis.
The latest: WPBF 25 News coverage on Politics
Florida’s proposed redistricting map follows a trend of mid-decade redistricting across the country, which began last year after Republican President Donald Trump encouraged Texas to change its redistricting map to add five congressional districts that favor Republicans.
That map was approved by the Texas Republican-led state legislature last August. That led to Democratic-majority states like California and Virginia implementing new congressional district maps.
Last November, California matched Texas by creating five additional district seats that favor Democratic candidates after Proposition 50 was approved by voters.
Virginia voters approved a redistricting map on April 21 that gave Democrats the advantage in 10 congressional districts and favored Republicans in one congressional district.
The map is being challenged in the Virginia Supreme Court.
Republican-majority states Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah have also approved redistricting maps.
Along with Florida, South Carolina has begun the process of redistricting.
Redistricting efforts in Democratic-majority states Washington, Maryland and New York, along with Republican-majority state Indiana, did not pass.
The 2026 General Election is expected to be competitive, as currently, Republicans hold a slim lead in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Stay updated on the latest political updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
If Republicans retain control of the House, Trump’s agenda will likely move forward during the last two years of his second term as President of the United States.
If Democrats win control of the House, they will likely try to block the president’s agenda.
Traditionally, redistricting is conducted by states every 10 years after the U.S. Census releases data on the population.
Florida approved its recent congressional district map in 2022.
Evan Power, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida released the following statement on the proposed redistricting map:
“Florida has earned fair representation – and this new congressional map delivers it.
After being shortchanged in the 2020 Census under the failed leadership of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and after years of continued population growth driven by Americans fleeing failed blue states, it is long past time for our congressional map to reflect reality.
Republicans now hold a more than 1.5 million voter registration advantage in Florida. And our congressional map should reflect the will of the voters who are shaping the future of this state.
The current map still carries the fingerprints of a court-imposed, Democrat-driven design that distorts representation and ignores the dramatic changes Florida has experienced. That era should be over.
The Republican Party of Florida strongly support this new map and thanks Governor Ron DeSantis for his leadership for bringing it forward. It is fair, it is justified, and it is long overdue.
I call on the Legislature to pass the proposed congressional map without delay. Floridians deserve accurate representation, and there is no justification for keeping an outdated map in place any longer.”
The Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried released a statement on the proposed redistricting map:
“Ron DeSantis didn’t draw this map for Florida, he drew them for the only Floridian he cares about: Donald Trump.
He would wilfully break the law and screw over the people of Florida for a morsel of relevance. Today’s map shows nothing but craven contempt for the voters.
No one wants this; not the voters, not the legislature. There has been bipartisan opposition to this process for months. No matter what Ron does to try to rig the game, we will fight back.”
John Bisognano, the President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), released a statement on the map:
“This map is a gerrymander stacked on top of an already egregious gerrymander that silences millions of Floridians and amounts to an abuse of power designed to benefit Donald Trump, DeSantis, and the Republican Party.”
“The backroom rollout we saw today exemplifies exactly how little transparency and accountability this process will have, and without anything resembling a sound rationale to justify this redraw, Florida Republicans could not have made it more clear that this is a nakedly partisan maneuver. If they pass this map, Republicans should expect an avalanche of legal challenges.”
The special session on redistricting along with Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, Public Records and vaccine administration begins on Tuesday in Tallahassee.