Florida Republicans pass new congressional map that could shift up to four House seats away from Democrats

Florida's Republican-controlled legislature passed a new congressional map this week that redraws district lines across the state using what analysts describe as the classic gerrymandering techniques of "packing" and "cracking." Packing concentrates like-minded voters into fewer districts to reduce their broader influence, while cracking spreads them across multiple districts to dilute their impact in any single race, according to the Associated Press.

In the Tampa Bay area, the map splits what had been a competitive Democratic-leaning district into three Republican-tilting ones. Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor's district now incorporates more conservative rural areas; she said the new lines are "blatantly illegal" under Florida's constitution. In the Orlando area, the districts held by Democratic Reps. Darren Soto and Maxwell Frost are consolidated into a single, reliably Democratic seat, while surrounding areas are folded into a more Republican-leaning district. Frost said on social media that map-makers had to pair city residents with voters living two hours away to achieve that result. Soto said the new lines targeted Florida's Puerto Rican community.

In South Florida, a majority-Black district previously represented by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — drawn under Voting Rights Act guidelines that the U.S. Supreme Court effectively curtailed — is eliminated and redistributed across multiple districts. Democratic Reps. Lois Frankel and Jared Moskowitz, whose adjoining districts cover parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties, face divergent prospects: Frankel retains a more Democratic base, while Moskowitz's territory is divided across three districts. Former DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz faces a choice between running in a redrawn heavily Democratic Broward district where she does not live or competing in a more Republican-leaning one. Wasserman-Schultz described the changes as "a nakedly partisan scheme."

CNN reported that DeSantis called lawmakers to Tallahassee and moved the map through the Republican-controlled legislature within a matter of days. The outlet framed the redistricting primarily as part of a broader political calculation by DeSantis — depicting the map as a vehicle for rebuilding his relationship with President Trump and positioning himself for a potential 2028 presidential run or a post-gubernatorial role in the Trump administration. The Associated Press focused its coverage on the specific district-by-district changes and their projected effects on Democratic incumbents.

DeSantis said the new map reflects Florida's population growth and political leanings. His office did not respond to CNN's requests for comment on the redistricting or his political future. White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump "appreciates the work Governor DeSantis is doing in the great state of Florida." Democrats in Washington said they may still be competitive in some redrawn seats given what the AP described as Trump's "fading" poll numbers, and Republican incumbents María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez remain Democratic targets despite the new lines providing them limited additional protection.