On Monday, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled a draft of a new congressional map for the state, which could potentially secure the GOP an increase of up to four additional seats in the House. This move comes in response to a recent gerrymandering decision made by Virginia voters.
The suggested map for Florida proposes the removal of four districts traditionally favoring Democrats, located in the central and southern regions. As a result, cities like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and West Palm Beach would remain as Democratic bastions.
DeSantis expressed his reasoning in a statement shared with Fox News Digital, who were the first to cover the new map’s release. He mentioned, “Florida was underrepresented in the 2020 Census, prompting our ongoing struggle for equitable representation. Our population has surged significantly, shifting from a Democratic majority to a Republican lead of 1.5 million. The practice of drawing districts based on race, as seen in our current maps, is unconstitutional and should be abolished.”
To address the proposed changes, DeSantis has summoned a special legislative session set to commence on Tuesday.
