DeSantis Calls Special Session to Redraw Florida Districts

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he will convene a special legislative session starting April 20 to consider redrawing the state's congressional districts, a move that could reshape the balance of power in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The session, to follow the end of the regular 60-day legislative period, comes as Florida's population has grown significantly since the last apportionment, prompting calls for updated boundaries to reflect demographic shifts.

DeSantis made the announcement during a news conference in Steinhatchee, emphasizing the need to address changes driven by population growth, particularly in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. "We've had ten years of population change just since COVID, easy, probably even more than that," he said. "We have an ability, not only an ability to do it, but really a duty to do it to ensure fair representation." The governor tied the timing to an anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of Louisiana v. Callais, which could clarify the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That provision prohibits voting practices that discriminate on the basis of race...