Ron DeSantis says state is ‘malapportioned,’ calls for another round of redistricting

Gov. Ron DeSantis is weighing in again on Florida’s congressional map, arguing that the state is undercounted and that districts adopted three years ago don’t match today’s migration patterns.

So his team is eyeing another round of redistricting and “working through what that may look like.”

“I think if you look at that Florida Supreme Court analysis, there may be more defects that need to be remedied apart from what we’ve already done,” DeSantis said at Bradenton’s Manatee Performing Arts Center.

“I also think the way the population has shifted around Florida, just since the Census was done in 2020, I think the state is malapportioned. So I do think it would be appropriate to do a redistricting here in the mid-decade.”

The court ruled last week against a challenge to the map on the grounds that it eliminated a minority-access seat in North Florida. That ruling came days after DeSantis claimed problems with the census “gypped” Florida out of at least one more seat it should have had.

DeSantis said he told Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that Florida “got a raw deal in the census.”

“We only got one seat when some of these other states were getting seats, when we’ve obviously had more growth, we should have gotten at least two,” DeSantis recounted.

DeSantis said that if the work is to be done in time for next year’s elections, it would need to be “relatively soon because you need time to draw maps and you need time to get that done.”

“We’re malapportioned right now as a country, I think, because of the migration, but the state of Florida, I think for sure. So I think there’s ample justification to do it. My guys are going through the court’s opinion to look at different avenues, but I think that that’s definitely something that I certainly would look favorably upon.”

If the last round of redistricting offers indication, the Governor’s “guys” will determine the new lines.

DeSantis’ Office drew Florida’s congressional map, one approved by lawmakers after DeSantis vetoed a map produced by the Legislature during the Regular Session.

The current congressional map has 20 Republicans in Congress, up from 15 before. The state gained a seat in reapportionment, taking the state from a 15-12 split to a 20-8 GOP advantage.

But the Governor believes there is room for improvement.