Fla. Special Election Shakes GOP Redistricting Plans

A special election in Florida that saw two legislative seats go from Republican to Democrat has the GOP nervous about pursuing a redistricting of the state’s congressional maps.

Republicans hold a 20-8 edge over Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation though Republicans like Gov. Ron DeSantis think they could pick up as many as five seats if they pursue redistricting, Politico reported.

DeSantis has called a special session of the Florida Legislature in April to move forward with redistricting, though no map has been produced.

But the special elections, which saw a district that includes Mar-a-Lago, where President Donald Trump lives, flip to Democrats have rattled Republicans, Politico reported.

"We keep saying these are kind of one-off things that haven’t gone our way," a Florida House Republican told Politico. "But I’m not seeing any of the one-offs that are going our way."

"To talk as aggressively as some of what we’ve heard, there’s no way to get there without significantly weakening some districts," the representative told Politico.

Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Florida, told Politico redistricting is a "slippery slope."

"I’ve been around enough reapportionments to know it can come back and bite you," he said.

Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla. said he doesn’t like redistricting in general.

"But if they think they can get another two seats or something, have at it," Rutherford told Politico.

Other Republicans expressed concern that proposing to redistrict so soon before the midterm election is hurting their re-election campaigns.

"Why would you knock on doors if you don’t know if those doors are going to be in your district or not?" Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said.

Several Florida House Republicans have discussed their concerns about the fallout of yet another redistricting push in their state amid concerns that Hispanic voters are turning away from the party, Politico reported.

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