Florida lawmakers returned to Tallahassee on Monday for a special legislative session called by Governor Ron DeSantis to redraw the state’s 28 congressional districts ahead of the November midterms.

The governor’s office released the proposed map on Sunday. It would create 24 Republican-leaning seats and four Democratic-leaning seats, up from the current 20-7 Republican advantage with one vacancy.

Why it matters

Florida sends the third-largest delegation to the US House. A four-seat swing could reshape the chamber’s balance of power at a time when Republicans hold a narrow majority.

Who is targeted

The map dismantles districts currently held by four Democratic incumbents. Representatives Kathy Castor of Tampa and Darren Soto of Orlando would see their districts redrawn to absorb heavily Republican precincts. In South Florida, the seats held by Lois Frankel and Debbie Wasserman Schultz would be carved up between neighbouring GOP-leaning districts.

A House redistricting committee advanced the map on Tuesday afternoon. Leadership said the full chamber would debate and vote on Wednesday.

Legal fault lines

Florida voters approved the Fair Districts Amendment in 2010, which prohibits drawing maps to favour or disfavour a political party. Democrats and the National Democratic Redistricting Foundation have signalled they will challenge the map in court.

The state’s seven-member Supreme Court, however, now includes six justices appointed by DeSantis. In 2024 the same court struck down a congressional map, but its current composition has led observers to question whether the Fair Districts standard will be enforced with the same rigour.

Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried called the proposal “unconstitutional gerrymandering” and said the party would file suit regardless of how the legislature votes.

National context

Florida is one of several states where redistricting battles are reshaping the 2026 midterm landscape. Virginia’s redistricting referendum passed last week, and New York and Ohio face their own court-ordered map redraws. Together, these fights could determine which party controls the House in January 2027.