Florida Approves DeSantis' Congressional District Map

Florida lawmakers approved a new congressional district map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis this week, a move expected to boost Republican representation by four seats and intensify a public feud with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The state House passed the map Wednesday in a swift 83-28 vote after a session lasting less than 90 minutes, with the Senate following suit shortly after. No Republicans spoke in favor of floor debate, while Democrats raised objections over the rushed process. DeSantis, who unveiled the plan days earlier, hailed it as a correction to racially gerrymandered districts, particularly in South Florida, citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. The 6-3 decision limited states' use of race in drawing congressional maps under the Voting Rights Act, a development DeSantis said validated Florida's mid-decade redraw.

The new boundaries would expand the GOP's current 20-8 edge in Florida's congressional delegation to 24-4, reflecting the state's Republican voter registration advantage, which surpassed Democrats for the first time in 2021. Even Miami-Dade County, historically Democratic, supported the Republican presidential...