Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling a special session in Tallahassee this spring to address redistricting, putting him on a collision course with the Florida House, which plans to begin drawing maps this month.
In an X post, DeSantis made clear he does not want the legislature to tackle redistricting during its regular session this winter.
“This Special Session will take place after the regular legislative session, which will allow the Legislature to first focus on the pressing issues facing Floridians before devoting its full attention to congressional redistricting in April,” DeSantis wrote.
Florida’s primaries are not until August, giving legislators there more time to implement new maps than in states with earlier primaries. Plenty of Florida Republicans want to stall to give the Supreme Court time to rule on the future of the Voting Rights Act.
But Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican, strongly disagrees with DeSantis’ timeline. In an interview with CBS Miami, Perez said the state House would produce a map for members to vote on during the current session.
Here’s Perez in that interview:
Florida Republicans in Congress are becoming increasingly wary of a bold redistricting plan that aims to oust five Democrats.
There are a lot of forces trying to influence the process: DeSantis, the legislature, the delegation and the White House. Many of President Donald Trump’s top lieutenants hail from Florida and are closely monitoring redistricting there.
Even in the legislature, Republicans aren’t on the same page. State Senate President Ben Albritton wrote a letter Wednesday reiterating that his chamber is not taking steps toward a new map.
“As I’ve previously stated, there is no ongoing work regarding mid-dec
