In an interview with The Floridian, a news site local to Florida with a focus on Florida politics, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has announced that he and his administration plan on redistricting the state in the spring of 2026. According to DeSantis, the redistricting is expected to start in March and end in May of next year.
The act of redistricting has been a touchy subject for politics recently, as it seems several states have been undergoing redistricting. Many have made accusations of gerrymandering, redrawing the districts so that they are more favorable towards a certain political party in elections.
Florida GOP Chair Evan Power gave the following statement saying these changes are following a trend seen in other states: “It will end in two very partisan draws in red and blue states, I would imagine,” they continue, “But that’s what they’re trying to do in California. That’s what they’ve done in Massachusetts. That’s what they’ve done in New York. That’s what they’ve done in Illinois.”
Abdelilah Skhir, a member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), gave the following reassurance to the public that the redistricting is completely unbiased: “To be perfectly clear, in Florida, it’s illegal and unconstitutional to draw districts to benefit one party over another.”
The plan for redistricting Florida has not been set in stone yet. In order for DeSantis to move forward with the redistricting plan, he will need the approval of both the House and Senate of Florida to begin redrawing district lines. At this time, the Florida Senate and the Florida Senate President Ben Albritton have not made any statements regarding the proposal.
