Redistricting is so controversial and dominated by nakedly partisan motives, it’s factor it occurs solely as soon as each 10 years.
However that’s not true in Florida any extra.
Gov. Ron DeSantis needs the Legislature to redraw congressional district strains now, halfway between the final required remapping and the subsequent one in 2030.
Two different crimson states, Texas and Missouri, have simply finished it. So will the nation’s largest blue state, California. New York and others could observe.
Mike Stocker/Solar Sentinel
Solar Sentinel columnist Steve Bousquet.
This spells critical hassle — political, authorized and racial. It might confuse and alienate many citizens. It might tilt the steadiness of energy in Washington for years to come back. It absolutely will finish somebody’s political profession.
This shouldn’t be.
It’s an influence seize on a grand scale, and for one motive: to assist Republicans develop their paper-thin majority in Congress within the 2026 midterm elections, when sitting presidents’ recognition usually takes a nosedive. Uncertain that they’ll prevail on the prevailing political taking part in area, Republicans need to change the foundations and rig the end result.
Even firstly of a decade, redistricting is dripping with conceitedness. It’s politicians selecting which voters they may characterize, not the opposite means round because it’s alleged to be.
DeSantis did it earlier than, so there’s no motive to consider he gained’t do it once more, in his eighth and last 12 months in workplace — his final probability to make use of and abuse his huge energy.
He rejected a legislative map with a North Florida congressional district drawn to maximise Black voting power between Jacksonville and Tallahassee, claiming it was drawn illegally to favor Black voters.
One courtroom struck down DeSantis’ problem, however he gained on enchantment. Tremendously assisted by a Florida Supreme Court docket filled with DeSantis appointees, he received what he needed: one much less Florida Democrat in Congress.
The courtroom neglected Florida’s voter-approved Honest Districts amendments that prohibit districts from being drawn to favor one social gathering over one other.
Florida has 28 congressional districts. Republicans have a 20 to eight benefit over Democrats they usually need extra seats.
In the event that they get their means, Republicans will exchange Democrats in two or three extra districts — in a state with 4.1 million Democratic voters and three.4 million with no social gathering affiliation. A redistricting scheme of any type may have a disproportionate impression in South Florida, the house of 5 of these eight Democrats.
DeSantis calls for that congressional district strains be realigned to replicate a surge in Republican voter registration prior to now few years (there are actually at the very least 1.4 million extra GOP voters than Democrats).
Some basic math: Even with their huge positive factors, Republicans now make up 41% of Florida voters, but they maintain 71% of our seats in Congress.
It isn’t honest, however the social gathering in energy attracts the strains to consolidate and strengthen energy. For greater than a century, the Democrats did it that means, and because the Nineties, the Republicans have been in cost.
It’s basically corrupt, however Florida has repeatedly rejected the thought of getting an impartial fee in control of redistricting.
Congressional districts replicate inhabitants based mostly on the newest census knowledge, which gained’t be out there for an additional 5 years or extra.
Not content material to attend, DeSantis needs to attract new strains now, regardless of robust public opposition.
A current public opinion ballot commissioned by Frequent Trigger exhibits widespread resistance to the thought. Even Republicans oppose a mid-decade redistricting by a margin of 45% to 36%. The opposition is way increased amongst NPA voters (60%) and Democrats (62%).
The ballot numbers have been almost equivalent in 4 different states the place voters have been polled (California, Illinois, New York and Texas).
Subsequent 12 months might be DeSantis’s last 12 months as governor, and it’s shaping up as a political horror present on a number of ranges. In addition to redistricting, there might be an effort to dramatically scale back property taxes, get rid of childhood vaccine mandates, go an open carry gun legislation and far more.
It’s a type of instances when it’s a blessing that the common legislative session lasts for less than 60 days.
Steve Bousquet is the Opinion Editor of the Solar Sentinel and a columnist in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. Contact him at sbousquet@sunsentinel.com or (850) 567-2240 and observe him on X @stevebousquet.