Gov. Ron DeSantis releases new congressional map for Florida, favoring Republicans

Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald on Apr 27, 2026

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday released his new plan for Florida’s congressional map, a redistricting proposal that could give the Republican Party four more seats in Congress.

His plan, released exclusively to Fox News, would leave Tampa Bay without any Democratic seats, and reduce the number of left-leaning districts in South Florida.

Only four seats out of 28 — District 10, in Central Florida, and Districts 23, 20 and 24 in South Florida — would lean in favor of Democrats, according to the draft proposal confirmed by the governor’s office.

That would mean Tampa Bay would not have a Democratic-leaning district.

The governor’s proposal comes in the middle of a national redistricting battle initiated by President Donald Trump, who last summer started pushing red states to redraw their maps and keep GOP control of Congress.

Some left-leaning states retaliated, and both parties are at about where they started before about half a dozen states created new maps.

Florida’s proposal, if passed, could tip those scales. But it also could risk making what are now some safely Republican seats more competitive for Democrats.

Florida lawmakers on Tuesday will head to Tallahassee for a redistricting special session called by DeSantis.

Neither the House nor Senate is creating its own map proposal. DeSantis’ plan will be the only one they consider. As of early Monday, the governor’s office had not yet transmitted its proposal to lawmakers, despite the Fox News article.

In discussing redistricting, DeSantis has avoided citing politics as a motivating factor. But he first started floating his plan as Trump pushed for redistricting last year.

Florida’s current map was created by DeSantis’ office in 2022, and was defended by the state over years of litigation. That map gives Republicans an advantage in 20 out of Florida’s 28 seats.

DeSantis has pointed to a Florida Supreme Court ruling upholding his map as the justification for redistricting. He’s also referenced a U.S. Supreme Court case about the Voting Rights Act that is still pending.