Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, announced on January 7 that he would convene the state legislature in special session from April 20 to 24 to redraw the electoral map ahead of the 2026 elections.
As we know, the midterm elections in the fall of 2026 are an important issue for the Republican Party in order to retain and win as many seats as possible in Congress. DeSantis’ initiative to hold this special session to redraw electoral districts comes at a time when Trump is urging Republicans to “win the midterm elections” in order to prevent Congress from being controlled by Democrats, who he believes are seeking to impeach him. Scheduled after the end of the regular legislative session, this special session also pushes back the official qualification period for congressional candidates from April to June.
It should be noted that the effort to redraw the electoral map normally takes place every ten years, after the national census. This unusual mid-decade redistricting has already been undertaken in the Republican state of Texas, and California has followed suit, adopting a redistricting plan that would favor Democrats.
The Florida governor maintains that his decision to hold a special session for this purpose is not politically motivated. DeSantis explains that the state must anticipate a possible Supreme Court decision that could change the interpretation of the Voting Rights Act with regard to the creation of districts designed to promote minority representation. He also justifies updating the electoral map without waiting for the next census because of population movements since 2020.
According to Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, the real purpose of the special session called by DeSantis to redraw the electoral map is to gain a political advantage and “rig the midterm elections” in favor of the Republican Party, at the request of President Trump.
Driskell called the initiative “stupid,” “unconstitutional,” “illegal,” and a “blatant attempt to rig the system.” Rejecting the governor’s reasons, such as demographic changes and an anticipated Supreme Court decision, she argues that this initiative violates the state’s constitutional amendments on district fairness, which prohibit redrawing electoral maps to benefit one political party over another. She adds that this is a dangerous precedent because, historically, Florida has only redrawn electoral boundaries mid-decade when required by the courts, not on the governor’s own initiative. She also believes that this special session distracts attention from the real issues (high costs—food, home insurance, etc.) and weakens the electoral power of minorities.
Driskell says DeSantis’ actions amount to “cynical and corrupt behavior” that causes people to lose faith in politics. She compares the practice of rigging elections to “places like Cuba and Venezuela, not America.”
Florida currently has 28 congressional districts, 20 of which are held by Republicans. Experts are already pointing to a favorable configuration for the Republican Party. The proposed changes could have significant repercussions in the southeastern part of the state. First, there is the 20th district, currently held by Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, which is designed to favor the representation of Black voters. Then there is the 23rd district, represented by Democrat Jared Moskowitz, which is considered particularly vulnerable due to its narrow electoral margin.
