Florida Lawmakers Schedule Launch for Mid-Decade GOP Gerrymander

Florida lawmakers are set to begin a mid-decade redraw of the state’s congressional map next month — a move that could accelerate a nationwide GOP push to lock in control of the U.S. House before any votes are cast. 

The Florida House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting quietly scheduled its inaugural meeting for December 4, marking the official start of an unusually timed redistricting process with major consequences for voter representation.

The scheduled meeting follows months of mounting pressure from President Donald Trump, who has urged GOP-led states to pursue aggressive mid-cycle redraws as part of a broader strategy to secure House control in 2026. Florida will join Texas, Missouri and North Carolina responding to that call.

The process also comes on the heels of a Florida Supreme Court decision that upheld a congressional map endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)  — even as the court acknowledged it weakens Black electoral power.

Democrats warned the move could undermine representation for communities that have already faced repeated legal battles over discriminatory maps.

“Trump and Congressional Republicans know they’re on track to lose the House in 2026. Florida is now the latest state where Republicans are admitting they can’t win without cheating,” Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D) said following the committee reveal. “We will be coordinating closely with House and Senate Democrats in Tallahassee to fight this power grab. While GOP-led states take their orders from Trump, every Democratic-led state needs to follow California’s lead and redraw their own maps.”

The committee will meet during the Legislature’s interim week, with no public draft maps released yet and limited guidance on what changes lawmakers plan to pursue. 

Florida’s process could have significant national consequences. Republicans already hold a 20–8 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation, and state GOP officials have openly projected that a new map could deliver several more seats.

Democratic voters make up about 43% of Florida’s affiliated voters. 

DeSantis signaled earlier this month that he expects redistricting to move forward despite previous comments from House leadership downplaying the possibility.

“Stay tuned,” he wrote in direct reply to a post noting House Speaker Daniel Perez’s earlier claim that redistricting was “not planned.”

Florida’s voter-approved Fair Districts amendments prohibit partisan and racial gerrymandering, but enforcement will depend on how courts interpret the standards and how aggressively lawmakers test their limits. With the state Supreme Court now firmly conservative, voting rights advocates worry that voters may have fewer avenues to challenge unfair maps.

The December 4 hearing is expected to set the timeline for drafting a new congressional map.

Any proposal would need approval from both chambers of the Legislature and the governor before facing what will almost certainly be immediate legal challenges. With Florida’s 2026 candidate filing deadlines approaching next year, lawmakers have a narrow window to complete the process.