Florida Legislature approves redistricting bill to give GOP up to 4 more seats

Key Points:

• The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis that aims to give Republicans four additional seats, bolstering their efforts to maintain control of Congress in the 2026 midterms.
• The map redraws districts to reduce Democratic-leaning areas in Tampa, Orlando, and parts of the southeast coast, including altering a majority Hispanic district in central Florida, shortly after the Supreme Court narrowed a section of the Voting Rights Act.
• The Senate passed the bill 21-17 with some bipartisan dissent, while the House voted strictly along party lines amid protests and denied requests to review the recent Supreme Court ruling before voting.
• DeSantis and his legal team argue that the Supreme Court decision invalidates Florida constitutional provisions requiring consideration of race in redistricting, challenging the state's Fair Districts Amendment that bans partisan gerrymandering.
• Legal challenges to the new map face significant obstacles given DeSantis' appointments of six of the seven justices on Florida's Supreme Court, which may influence rulings on the redistricting dispute.