On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a redistricting effort to potentially secure additional Republican congressional seats in the state.
DeSantis announced the move, saying he will be convening a special session for the state legislature to adjust current maps. The move comes as red and blue states across the country have pursued redistricting to secure an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.
“Today, I announced 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. Every Florida resident deserves to be represented fairly and constitutionally,” DeSantis wrote.
“This Special Session will take place after the regular legislative session, which will allow the Legislature to first focus on the pressing issues facing Floridians before devoting its full attention to congressional redistricting in April,” he added.
Currently, Republicans hold 20 of Florida’s 28 congressional districts. Florida Republicans may also face challenges because of language in the state’s constitution that puts tight restrictions on gerrymandering.
Texas and California have also pursued major redistricting efforts, with Texas overcoming some initial pushback from the courts.
In early December, the Supreme Court delivered a significant victory to Texas Republicans, clearing the way for a new congressional map that could add up to five GOP-leaning seats in 2026. In a 6-3 ruling, the justices halted a lower court order and said Texas can use the map while the legal fight plays out.
Florida is another key battleground where redistricting could bolster Republican prospects. Governor Ron DeSantis has already demonstrated a willingness to redraw maps, most notably by dismantling a North Florida district long viewed as favorable to Democrats. Further tweaks ahead of 2026 could reinforce Republican dominance in the state by locking in gains made over the last two cycles and reducing the number of truly competitive districts. (RELATED: Supreme Court Clears Texas To Use GOP-Friendly Map In 2026)
Similarly, in states like Ohio and Tennessee, GOP legislators continue to test the limits of court rulings and constitutional constraints, seeking maps that better reflect — in their view — statewide partisan preferences, which currently favor Republicans.
While these redistricting efforts are unlikely to produce a dramatic wave of new GOP seats on their own, they could prove decisive in a narrowly divided House. With margins expected to be razor-thin, even two or three additional Republican-leaning districts may be enough to offset losses from retirements or difficult midterm headwinds.
