“This is all corruption”: Dems furious as Florida is determined to redraw its congressional maps to help Trump
Florida – Republicans in Florida are moving forward with a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional districts before the 2026 midterms. Democrats say this is clear corruption and an attempt to shift the balance of power in Washington. Governor Ron DeSantis and other top GOP officials support the plan, which is identical to what is happening in Texas and has already caused a lot of political uproar. Florida and Texas are believed to continue with their plans despite recent threats coming from California.
This week, House Speaker Daniel Perez said he had set up a Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting. This is the first official step in changing Florida’s electoral map. His statement comes at the same time when Texas Republicans are working hard to change their own districts as part of a mid-decade redistricting campaign that Donald Trump has been pushing them to do. Trump has publicly urged states controlled by the GOP to get more seats, saying that Republicans “deserve” those wins in order to win the House in 2026.
DeSantis, who was in charge of Florida’s 2022 plan, has used the fact that the state’s population has grown quickly after the 2020 census to justify another round of redistricting.
“We’re in a situation where, you know, we believe there’s defects in the current map. We also believe that the districts are malapportioned because of the explosive growth that we’ve seen in the state of Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week.
He even suggested the state could gain “at least three” congressional seats if population shifts were fully accounted for. Florida’s attorney general has floated using a post-2020 census review to recalibrate population counts, bypassing the traditional national tally.
Democrats, however, see the move as nothing more than a partisan power grab. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried blasted the plan.
“This is all corruption,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “The pendulum is starting to swing back, and they know that, which is why they’re trying to steal the 2026 elections.”
She said the Republicans were trying to control Congress by manipulating the process instead of reacting to the needs of the people.
Voting rights groups and Democratic lawmakers also warn the effort could deepen inequities that have already fueled controversy. Florida’s current 20–8 Republican advantage in its congressional delegation stems from maps crafted under DeSantis that eliminated a majority-Black district. That action led to protests in 2022, including a dramatic sit-in by Democratic members on the floor of the House.
“Donald Trump is simply trying to rig the next election to ensure that Republicans continue to lead our country,” she said. “And I’ll ask you, I’m still trying to figure out when the cost of groceries is going to go down.”
Other Democratic leaders in Florida have framed the redistricting effort as a violation of the state’s Fair Districts rules, voter-approved standards intended to limit partisan gerrymandering.
“The governor is talking about redoing the census and redrawing the map because he didn’t get the political outcome that he wanted. This isn’t about fairness or accuracy. It’s about power,” said Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones, a vocal opponent of the proposed changes.
If Florida goes through with its plan, it will be the first time in the state’s history that this has happened. After the U.S. census, congressional districts are usually reconfigured only once every ten years. Changes in the middle of the decade are rare and often contested in court. Republican leaders, on the other hand, say that the lines should be redrawn early because of rapid growth and changing migration trends.
The plan is still in its early stages. Florida Senate President Ben Albritton (R) hasn’t said whether or not he will support new maps, so it’s unclear if the idea will pass in both houses. Even if lawmakers agree on a proposal to redraw the lines, there will probably be legal battles that might last until the election season.
The timing and purpose of the push are clear to Democrats. They think Florida’s decision is part of a plan by Trump and Republican governors to keep their power before the election. Florida Democrats say this isn’t about growth or representation. This is about taking charge of the midterms.
Florida’s redistricting struggle is about to become one of the most closely monitored political debates leading up to 2026. It’s not just about where the lines are drawn, but also about who has the power to determine the future of American politics.
