Florida GOP’s mid-decade redistricting effort undermines conservative values | Opinion
Florida is preparing to join the race to redraw congressional maps that has been sweeping the country. The Republican-led Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis are planning to revisit the state’s congressional maps, which were drawn three years ago — the same maps that helped the GOP win in 2022 and 2024.
It’s the wrong move, and principled conservatives should oppose it.
Florida House Speaker Danny Perez, R-Miami — and his Senate counterpart, Senate President Ben Albritton — should follow the lead of Indiana Republicans, who last week resisted the temptation to redistrict, even though it would have favored their party in next year’s elections.
DeSantis has pointed to the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling that will likely erode the Voting Rights Act, making it easier to redraw districts. Other justifications, such as problems with the U.S. Census and the need to correct population shifts, have been mentioned, but they sound more like manufactured excuses to achieve a predetermined outcome.
The current map was drawn by DeSantis in 2022, upheld by the Florida Supreme Court, and gave the GOP 20 of the state’s 28 congressional seats. If it was constitutional for the past two election cycles, what has changed?
The real rationale appears to be the GOP’s anxiety over the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, and that’s why restraint matters the most right now.
Conservatives have long been champions of limited government and constitutional guardrails. These values shouldn’t be abandoned simply because doing so might be politically advantageous.
“This is not going to engender greater confidence in the system,” Former White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove told me. He’s right.
Florida, unlike some states, doesn’t allow partisan map making. In 2010, Florida voters passed the Fair Districts amendments, which banned partisan gerrymandering. The state constitution is clear: “No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.”
Mid-decade redistricting sets a dangerous precedent.
Congressional maps are drawn every 10 years following the U.S. Census. This provides predictability and limits partisan games. If the majority party can redraw the maps to accommodate a shift in political winds, then fair representation is compromised. Elections should be won by candidates, not by partisan cartographers.
Once the norm is broken and precedent is set, it becomes a weapon available to both parties. Today it’s the Republicans. Next time it could be the Democrats, as they have already done in California. It’s an unending cycle of gaming the system.
Conservatives should recognize this danger. I get it, the temptation to secure short-term advantage by bending the rules is always present in politics. But Florida Republicans should trust the voters, their record and the electoral process.
Some victories come at too high a cost, and winning a few more House seats isn’t worth it.
If Republicans believe that gerrymandering is the only path to victory, then they’ve already lost something more fundamental than a congressional majority: their claim to principled governance.
Republicans are right to be concerned about 2026. In 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first presidency, the GOP lost control of the House. History could repeat itself. But the solution is better candidates and better policies — not new maps.
Thankfully, not all Republican-led state legislatures are bending to Trump’s pressure campaign to gerrymander their maps. On Thursday, Indiana Senate Republicans rejected a new congressional map. The rejection came after a months-long presidential lobbying effort coupled with threats of political consequences.
Republican Indiana Sen. Spencer Deery told the New York Times, “I see no justification that outweighs the harms it would inflict upon the people’s faith in the integrity of our elections and our system of government.”
Some will say that Florida must continue to deliver on the president’s agenda, even if it means rigging congressional maps. But Florida Republican leaders can still off-ramp from this misguided exercise.
Ultimately, this effort isn’t just about maps — it’s about confidence. If GOP policies are working for Floridians, the party shouldn’t have anything to fear in 2026. And if they aren’t, redrawing the lines won’t save them.
Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com