Florida House panel approves new GOP-friendly congressional district map
Redraw could give Republicans a gain of four seats as the midterm elections approach.
By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor
Published: April 28, 2026 11:09pm
Plans to redraw Florida’s congressional districts, which could give Republicans a gain of four seats as the midterm elections approach, has been approved by a committee in the House of Representatives.
The Legislature, called into a special session by second-term Republican Gov. Ron Desantis, could approve the redistricting plan on Wednesday. Its the latest domino movement from the 2025 request of second-term Republican President Donald Trump asking Texas Republicans to redraw their districts.
At stake: majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was 220-215 Republicans after the 2024 cycle; today it is 217-212 with one independent that was formerly Republican and five vacancies.
In Tuesday's meeting of the Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, critics called the redistricting effort gerrymandering, racist and illegal. They complained that the push for restricting was rushed, saying it is proof that it is directly related to the midterm elections.
A representative from the governor’s office said the maps were drawn without regard to race, but for “population equity” since the state’s population has grown dramatically in the last few years. His comments prompted laughter from the audience.
“This isn’t redistricting, it’s a power grab,” Mike Kirsten of Fernandina Beach told the committee. “If you could win on policy, you wouldn’t have to do this. Gerrymandering lets you pass laws people can’t vote against. This isn’t about protecting voters. It’s about protecting power. And that is not democracy ”
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https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/florida-house-panel-approves-new-congressional-district-map
