Florida Republicans are convening a special session to consider redistricting following the Democrats’ gerrymandering of Virginia on Tuesday.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Following the Democrats’ successful gerrymandering referendum in Virginia on Wednesday, the Florida legislature will hold a special session. The session, which will run from April 28 to May, is being convened mainly “for the purpose of considering legislation related to the drawing of congressional districts,” alongside increased medical freedom and new consumer protections linked to artificial intelligence (AI). 📺 DETAIL: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation convening the special session shortly before the Virginia referendum, in which the GOP establishment allowed the Democrats to eke out a narrow victory by spending only around $20 million on the referendum campaign, while the Democrats spent $62.3 million. Redistricting in Florida could net Republicans four to five new House seats, balancing out the Democrats’ expected gain in Virginia, but would require a snap referendum and a 60 percent threshold under the state constitution—a high bar with only a few months until the November midterms. DeSantis’s office is expected to transmit a proposal to the Florida Senate, which will be filed as a bill for consideration. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Florida’s Constitution includes strict guidelines for what information the Legislature can and cannot consider when drawing new congressional districts. Regardless of the forum or format, we can only consider thoughts and feedback in keeping with constitutional standards. Senators should take care to insulate themselves from partisan-funded organizations and other interests that may intentionally or unintentionally attempt to inappropriately influence redistricting.” – Ben Albritton, President of the Florida Senate 🎯 IMPACT: Florida Senate President Ben Albritton (R) has warned state lawmakers that they cannot advance maps that “favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent,” and that anything they decide is likely to be subject to “significant litigation.” While hailing the Democrats’ gerrymandering in Virginia, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has branded the Florida redistricting effort an “illegal scheme” and vowed to “aggressively target” Republican Florida Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez, Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna, Laurel Lee, Cory Mills, and Brian Mast. 📺 FLASHBACK: Redistricting has become a major issue in the run-up to the midterms in November. In mid-March, Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) invested millions to back GOP redistricting efforts. In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld a high-profile redistricting measure in Texas. In mid-January, the Democrats secured a legal victory at the Ninth Circuit to gerrymander the electoral map in California against Republicans. |
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