Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a redistricting effort to secure more Republican congressional seats in the state on Wednesday.
DeSantis announced the move on social media, saying he will be convening a special session for the state legislature to adjust current maps. The move comes as red and blue states across the country have pursued redistricting to secure an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.
"Today, I announced that I will be convening a Special Session of the Legislature focused on redistricting to ensure that Florida's congressional maps accurately reflect the population of our state. Every Florida resident deserves to be represented fairly and constitutionally," DeSantis wrote.
"This Special Session will take place after the regular legislative session, which will allow the Legislature to first focus on the pressing issues facing Floridians before devoting its full attention to congressional redistricting in April," he added.
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Currently, Republicans hold 20 of Florida's 28 congressional districts. Florida Republicans may also face challenges because of language in the state's constitution that puts tight restrictions on gerrymandering.
Texas and California have also pursued major redistricting efforts, with Texas overcoming some initial pushback from the courts.
Some lawmakers have warned that rampant redistricting will only lead to escalating political tensions. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said last month that it may even result in violence.
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"You know, it's this escalation on both sides," Paul said. "Both sides are doing it, and so is one side going to sit quietly and not do it? You can argue who started it. But I do think this, and, this is on the negative aspect of both parties doing this, I think it's going to lead to more civil tension and possibly more violence in our country because think about it."
"If 35% of Texas is Democrat, solidly Democrat, and they have zero representation. Or like in my state, we're a very Republican state, but we have one Democrat area in Louisville and we have a Democratic congressman. We could carve up Louisville and get rid of that one congressman, but how does that make Democrats feel? I think it makes them feel like they're not represented," he continued.
Paul did not solely blame Republicans or Democrats for the redistricting fight but expressed concerns about how far it has escalated.
"I'm saying it's a mistake for both parties," Paul said. "I know exactly how we de-escalate this, because once Texas is done and changed five seats to be more Republican, California's gonna do the same thing. And it's back and forth, and back and forth. How do you put the genie back in the box? How do you get back to détente? How do you do something better? I think there is the potential that when people feel they have no representation, that they feel disenfranchised, that it could lead, that it might lead to violence in our country."
Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-launches-florida-redistricting-push-potentially-add-more-gop-house-seats