DeSantis says he's taking up Jeffries' invitation to 'F around and find out' on Florida redistricting effort
Jeffries warned of a 'DeSantis dummy-mander' as both parties double down on gerrymandering ahead of 2026 midterms
By Leo Briceno Fox News
Published April 22, 2026 6:32pm EDT
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ invitations to "F around and find out" on redistricting efforts in Florida, the next possible battleground in a nationwide struggle to gain partisan advantages from congressional district maps.
"Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign," DeSantis said. "I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing.
"There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries everywhere around this state."
His comments follow remarks from Jeffries on Wednesday morning.
"Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out. If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummy-mander … the electoral tide is turning in Florida," Jeffries said.
The standoff demonstrates both parties’ resolve to double down on gerrymandering as a strategy central to winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the upcoming 2026 midterms.
Since President Donald Trump urged state lawmakers to expand the GOP’s 217-213 majority by eliminating five Democratic seats in Texas, states including North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Georgia have followed suit.
Most recently, voters in Virginia approved a redistricting effort spearheaded by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, to turn her party’s 6-5 advantage in the Commonwealth into a 10-1 majority by extending Republican-leaning districts into Democratic strongholds.
Florida is developing plans to be next.
With a Republican trifecta and eight Democratic-held districts to carve up, DeSantis has called a special session this week to explore the Sunshine State’s options.
"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," DeSantis said in his January announcement, citing changing demographics in the state.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-says-hes-taking-up-jeffries-invitation-f-around-find-out-florida-redistricting-effort
