A Florida Senate panel and a separate Florida House committee advanced the GOP-favored congressional map proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, moving it one step closer to clearing both chambers.
The Florida Senate Rules Committee advanced new congressional lines that seek to net Republicans at least four House seats ahead of November's elections. The maps will now go before the full state Senate and state House for a vote.
Florida currently has 20 House Republicans and eight House Democrats in its congressional delegation. Under DeSantis' proposal, the map would create a 24-4 Republican advantage.
Both chambers must approve identical congressional lines before the redistricting plan goes to DeSantis's desk for his signature. Florida represents the last major opportunity for GOP redistricting gains before November.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic critics argue the proposed map violates Florida's constitutional anti-gerrymandering provisions, which voters approved as part of a 2010 amendment. Opponents say the proposal prioritizes partisan advantage over fair representation.
"The governor's office first shared this map with Fox News Digital, and it notably showed a blue and red color-coded version," one Democratic strategist noted, raising questions about political impartiality in the drawing of district lines.
Dave Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, identified four Florida Democrats as most endangered under the proposed lines: Reps. Kathy Castor, Darren Soto, Jared Moskowitz, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Democratic groups are expected to challenge the map in court. Florida's Constitution explicitly bars political gerrymandering, a provision that opponents say the DeSantis proposal disregards.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican supporters argue the map reflects Florida's actual voter registration and electoral preferences. They contend it creates cleaner district boundaries rather than artificially protecting incumbents of either party.
DeSantis's legal team has argued that considering race in redistricting, which is included in Florida's Constitution, may be unconstitutional under anticipated U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
Given the high court's apparent inclination to limit racial considerations in congressional lines through pending Voting Rights Act cases, the governor's office suggests that provision would be invalid as well in the state constitution.
Some Republican observers believe DeSantis may ultimately pick up three seats rather than four if the map is approved and survives legal challenges. The governor has made passing the new House map before the midterms a priority to give Republicans more pickup opportunities.
What the Numbers Show
Current Florida congressional delegation: 20 Republicans, 8 Democrats (28 total seats).
Proposed map target outcome: 24 Republicans, 4 Democrats.
Net Republican gain under proposal: at least 4 seats, potentially 3 in practice.
Florida is one of only a few states still finalizing redistricting ahead of the November elections, making it the last major opportunity for either party to shape House battleground maps this cycle.
The state's constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2010 includes both anti-gerrymandering language and provisions regarding racial considerations in redistricting. These two elements are now intertwined in legal arguments over the map's validity.
The Bottom Line
The proposed map advances as Florida Republicans seek to cement their electoral advantage before November. Both chambers must still pass identical versions of the congressional lines.
Legal challenges appear nearly certain given the state Constitution's anti-gerrymandering language and questions about how district lines were drawn. DeSantis's counsel has argued that if courts invalidate racial consideration provisions, other parts of the 2010 amendment—including the ban on political gerrymandering—could also be invalidated.
What to watch: Full floor votes in both chambers, potential legal filings challenging the map's constitutionality, and whether the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on race-based redistricting provide additional momentum for challenges to Florida's state constitutional provisions.