Ron Desantis Says Florida's Special Session On Redistricting Could Be Delayed

A redistricting effort successful Florida deed a snag Tuesday erstwhile Gov. Ron DeSantis said a typical legislative convention scheduled for adjacent week whitethorn beryllium postponed.

Republicans power each lever of powerfulness successful Florida’s authorities government, but important infighting betwixt legislative leaders and DeSantis has bogged down awesome parts of DeSantis’ legislative agenda, including his effort to redraw nan state’s legislature representation up of nan midterm elections.

DeSantis told reporters Tuesday that location are apt to beryllium “tweaks” to immoderate projected maps, nary of which person yet been filed. DeSantis did not corroborate that adjacent week’s typical session, which he first called for successful January, would beryllium moved, but he said it would beryllium held successful nan “coming weeks.”

“I haven’t made immoderate decisions connected that, but nan reply is it’s imaginable you could do a small tweak, but you can’t really push it very far,” DeSantis told reporters successful Tallahassee astatine an unrelated bill-signing event.

DeSantis’ agency did not reply to a petition seeking further comment.

Since DeSantis’ grounded bid for president successful 2024, Florida Republicans person taken a much dispute attack to his wide agenda.

“No 1 is getting along. How tin we walk a representation erstwhile we can’t get anyone to talk astir a map?” said a longtime Florida Republican operative progressive successful nan process, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Another Florida Republican operative said “it’s clear” that DeSantis is trying to unit a redistricting process connected Republican authorities lawmakers who are either opposed to aliases ambivalent astir a redrawn legislature representation that wouldn’t straight impact them.

“It’s beautiful clear nan only 1 who wants to do this is DeSantis, and he seems little and little prepared to do it,” nan personification said.

A driving facet successful nan imaginable hold is that Florida Republicans had yet to finalize immoderate representation proposals little than a week earlier nan typical convention was group to begin, according to 3 sources acquainted pinch nan situation.

“There conscionable isn’t a representation that exists correct now,” a personification acquainted pinch nan process said. “I don’t deliberation they person really been moving connected 1 until very recently. I don’t cognize really this was going to activity out.”

A longtime Republican advisor who useful pinch authorities legislative Republicans said that if push came to shove, lawmakers would astir apt present DeSantis a caller representation but that very fewer support aliases are invested successful nan idea.

“These guys astatine nan authorities level mostly don’t really attraction astir legislature redistricting,” nan advisor said. “It’s not thing they attraction about, but besides a elevation they astir apt won’t dice connected unless that representation is ridiculous.”

Florida has been poised to go nan latest authorities to subordinate nan mid-decade redistricting conflict President Donald Trump kick-started past year, hoping to thief his statement support its slim House majority. Republicans successful Texas, North Carolina and Missouri enacted caller maps past month, but Democratic-led states person responded much aggressively than expected.

Voters successful California approved a redrawn representation past twelvemonth that heavy favors Democrats. And successful Virginia, Democrats are asking voters to do nan aforesaid in a typical election Tuesday.

It’s why Florida has emerged arsenic nan last bastion for Republicans to prime up further House seats done nan redistricting process earlier nan November elections. DeSantis, however, told reporters Tuesday that immoderate delays successful Florida would person small to do pinch nan result of nan Virginia referendum, which, if it is passed, would consequence successful 4 further Democratic-leaning districts successful nan state.

“I saw immoderate reports that someway Virginia’s doing thing — I person nary thought wherever that came from,” he said.

While Republicans correspond 20 of Florida’s 28 legislature districts, DeSantis has pushed plans to walk a caller representation that would springiness them 2 to 5 further seats.

But successful an predetermination rhythm that’s shaping up to beryllium reliable for nan GOP, immoderate Florida Republicans pass a caller representation could backfire and dilute seats that presently favour nan party. That interest has been elevated by nan occurrence Democrats person had successful typical elections crossed nan state during Trump’s 2nd term, including two authorities legislative races successful Florida past month.

“Aggressive redistricting strategies aimed astatine maximizing Republican spot count whitethorn paradoxically summation Republican vulnerability to adverse electoral conditions,” Alex Alvarado, a advisor who has agelong worked for Republican-leaning causes successful nan state, wrote successful a memo published this week.

He said his modeling suggests that “aggressive redistricting” could boost competitory legislature seats successful nan authorities from 4 to 7 and nutrient “zero nett summation successful Republican seats.”

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he remains supportive of Florida Republicans’ redrawing nan state’s legislature representation “if they tin fig retired a measurement to do it and do it fair.”

But he stopped short of encouraging them to do it aliases saying really fierce they should be.

“They sewage to travel nan Constitution and make adjacent districts,” Scott said.

The White House did not respond to a petition for comment. White House officials person been watching nan Florida redistricting process play out, moreover if they haven’t been arsenic straight engaged location arsenic successful different Republican-led states, according to 2 sources acquainted pinch their thinking.

A nationalist Republican operative who supports nan White House’s efforts remained optimistic that Florida would still walk caller legislature lines.

“They are going to get nan occupation done,” nan personification said.