Florida\u2019s next congressional redistricting fight is officially underway.<\/p>\n
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is calling lawmakers back to Tallahassee for an April special session to redraw the state\u2019s U.S. House districts.<\/a> He\u2019s launching a high-stakes, mid-decade remap that could reshape Florida\u2019s political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n WATCH FORREST SAUNDERS’ COVERAGE BELOW:<\/p>\n \u201cWe are going to do it in the later part of April, partially because there’s a Supreme Court decision that’s going to affect the validity of some of these districts nationwide, including some of the districts in the state of Florida,\u201d DeSantis said Wednesday at a press conference<\/a> in Steinhatchee.<\/p>\n The proclamation<\/a> comes just days before the regular 2026 legislative session is set to begin. DeSantis has scheduled the special session for April 20\u201324, narrowly tailoring the agenda to congressional redistricting, any related legal challenges, and potential funding to defend the map in court.<\/p>\n The governor says recent court rulings and a pending U.S. Supreme Court case examining the use of race in drawing congressional districts leave Florida little choice but to revisit its map before the next election cycle. He argues that waiting until late April provides time for additional legal clarity while still keeping elections on track.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a couple districts that has been thought that the Voting Rights Act mandates racial gerrymandering, so that’s going to force it one way or another,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n But the timing is already creating friction inside the Republican-controlled Legislature. While Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Bartow) has signaled support for the governor\u2019s timeline, the Florida House is moving faster. In an August memo, House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami) announced<\/a> a redistricting review set for the regular session and warned that delays could disrupt the election calendar.<\/p>\n At a December meeting of the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting, Chair Mike Redondo (R-Miami) pushed back<\/a> on waiting until a spring special session.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the fact that we are less than a year away from the election, not to mention the fact that the candidate qualifying period for federal office is in late April, it would be irresponsible to delay the creation and passage of a new map, especially until after session,\u201d Redondo said.<\/p>\n If DeSantis\u2019 timeline holds, the candidate qualifying, which was scheduled for late April, would be pushed<\/a> to June.<\/p>\n Voting-rights groups and Democrats are already vowing to challenge any mid-decade redraw, arguing it violates Florida\u2019s voter-approved Fair Districts amendments, which prohibit redistricting for partisan gain.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have to redistrict the voting distribution in a state in order to win an election, you’re cheating. You’re also a coward,\u201d said Tallahassee resident Faye Johnson during protests at the December committee meeting.<\/p>\n