DeSantis calls a special session in April to redraw Florida’s congressional districts in favor of the GOP

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he plans to call a special session in April of the Republican-dominated Legislature to draw new congressional districts, joining a redistricting arms race among states that redrawn districts midway through the decade.

Although Florida’s 2026 legislative session begins next week, DeSantis said he wants to wait for a possible ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling in Louisiana v. Calais could determine whether Section 2, the part of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits discrimination in voting systems, is constitutional. The governor said at least one or two counties in Florida could be affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“I don’t think it’s a question of whether they will govern. It’s a question of what the scope will be,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Steinhatchee, Florida. “So, we’re getting out before then.”

Currently, Republicans hold 20 of Florida’s 28 seats in Congress.

Florida’s congressional districts being redrawn to favor Republicans could have major consequences for President Donald Trump’s plan to redraw congressional districts in GOP-led states, which could give Republicans a chance to win additional seats in the midterm elections and retain control of the closely divided U.S. House of Representatives.

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Nationally, the unusual mid-decade redistricting battle has so far resulted in a total of nine additional seats that Republicans believe they can win in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio — and a total of six more seats that Democrats expect to win in California and Utah, leaving Republicans with a three-seat lead. But redrawn districts are being litigated in some states, and if the maps hold in 2026, there is no guarantee the parties will win the seats.

In 2010, more than 60% of Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the drawing of district lines to unfairly favor one political party in a process known as gerrymandering. However, last July, the Florida Supreme Court upheld DeSantis’ congressional map, which critics said violated the “fair districts” amendment.

After this decision, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez announced last August the formation of a select committee to examine the state’s congressional map.

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman said in a statement that what DeSantis wants the Legislature to do is clearly illegal.

“Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment strictly prohibits drawing any maps for partisan reasons, and regardless of any threat from the governor’s office, the only reason we are having this unprecedented conversation about drawing new maps is because Donald Trump asked for it,” Berman said. “An overwhelming majority of Floridians voted for the Fair Districts Amendment and their votes must be respected. Redistricting is meant to serve people, not politicians.”