Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez announced Thursday the creation of a select committee to examine the state’s congressional map, a move that comes as Republicans seek to maintain control of the U.S. House in 2026.
The Miami Republican’s decision follows a trend among GOP-led states, including Texas, where lawmakers are pursuing mid-decade redistricting. The Trump administration has also pressured Republican-led states such as Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina to reevaluate their maps. Meanwhile, Democratic-controlled states like California, Illinois, and New York are also considering changes that could help their party flip key seats. Control of the House could hinge on just a few districts.
Court ruling prompts action on redistricting
Perez said his move was prompted by a July 17 decision from the Florida Supreme Court, which upheld the congressional map pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. Critics argued the map violated the state’s 2010 “Fair Districts” constitutional amendment, which was intended to prevent gerrymandering.
In a memo to state House members, Perez said the committee would examine how the Fair Districts standards intersect with federal law. “Exploring these questions now, at the mid-decade point, would potentially allow us to seek legal guidance from our Supreme Court without the uncertainty associated with deferring those questions until after the next decennial census and reapportionment,” he wrote.
Typically, redistricting occurs once a decade after the U.S. census. Florida’s most recent redistricting took place in 2022.
District 5 and the question of minority representation
The Supreme Court case centered on North Florida’s Congressional District 5, which previously stretched from Jacksonville to west of Tallahassee and was represented by Black Democrat Al Lawson. During the 2022 redistricting process, DeSantis argued that maintaining such a district amounted to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
Under the DeSantis-backed map, District 5 was redrawn in the Jacksonville area, and white Republicans have since won all North Florida congressional seats. Voting-rights groups challenged the change, saying it violated the Fair Districts amendment’s “non-diminishment” clause, which protects minority communities’ ability to elect candidates of their choice.
The case also dealt with the interaction between the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and state-level standards. While the non-diminishment provision was central to the court ruling, the amendment also prohibits drawing maps with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.
Democrats push back, legal battles expected
Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, criticized Perez’s announcement, calling it “deeply troubling.” “Redrawing congressional maps outside of the standard post-census cycle threatens fair representation, undermines the intent of our democratic system, and risks silencing our diverse communities,” she said.
Dan Vicuna, senior policy director for voting and fair representation at Common Cause, said last week the group would challenge redistricting efforts in court, whether led by Republicans or Democrats.
Perez’s memo to lawmakers also included a warning: members of the committee will be disqualified if they publicly express views suggesting a political motive, such as favoring an incumbent or political party.
The House speaker said the committee will focus solely on congressional districts. Legislative redistricting will not be included, as the House “doesn’t have the capacity” to take that on, he said.
Republicans currently hold a 20-8 advantage in Florida’s congressional delegation and maintain supermajorities in both chambers of the state Legislature. Committee assignments, including members of the new redistricting panel, are expected to be announced in September.
