Trending Now - Desantis Encourages Lawmakers to Bypass Fair Districts Rules

WHO:

Florida Phoenix - Gov. Ron DeSantis, President Trump, Florida Supreme Court, House Speaker Daniel Perez, Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, Jason Poreda, David Axelman, Mohammed Jazil, Amy Keith, Karen Woodall, Orlando Rep. Bruce Antone, Rep. Johanna Lopez.

WHAT:

Florida Phoenix - DeSantis presented a proposed congressional redistricting map to the Legislature that could add as many as four Republican congressional seats to the current 20 out of 28 held by Republicans in Florida.

Florida Phoenix - The map (HB 1D) passed the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting by a party-line vote.

Florida Phoenix - The Senate Rules Committee passed their map (SB 8-D) with three Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

Florida Phoenix - The map is set to go to the floor in both chambers for a vote.

Truthout - The map is predicted to add four more GOP seats ahead of the midterms.

WHERE:

Florida Phoenix - The congressional redistricting map affects districts in Florida, specifically mentioning areas like Tampa Bay, Central Florida, and South Florida.

WHEN:

Florida Phoenix - The map is scheduled for a vote in both chambers on Wednesday.

WHY:

Florida Phoenix - DeSantis and Republican legislative leaders claim the redistricting is necessary to account for population growth since the 2020 Census and to ensure a race-neutral congressional plan.

Florida Phoenix - Democrats allege the map is a clear gerrymander, violating the Fair Districts provision that prohibits drawing districts to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.

HOW:

Florida Phoenix - DeSantis' attorney argued that federal law supersedes the Fair District Amendments, claiming that certain provisions of the Fair Districts are unconstitutional.

Florida Phoenix - Jason Poreda, a senior analyst in the DeSantis administration, stated that he used updated data from the state’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research and the American Community Survey to draw the map in a "race neutral" way.

(UPDATED April 29, 2026 11:29 UTC)

In a significant move, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has presented a proposed congressional redistricting map that could potentially add four Republican seats to Florida's current congressional delegation, which already has 20 out of 28 seats held by Republicans. The map, known as HB 1D, has passed the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting along party lines and is scheduled for a vote in both chambers on Wednesday, while the Senate's version, SB 8-D, faced some opposition from three Republicans. DeSantis and Republican leaders argue that the redistricting is necessary due to population growth since the 2020 Census, but Democrats contend that the map constitutes gerrymandering and violates the Fair Districts provision.