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justaprogressive

(7,036 posts) Thu Apr 23, 2026, 10:02 AM Thursday

'All eyes are on Ron DeSantis': Florida could make or break the GOP's redistricting edge - Politico

President Donald Trump’s redistricting war now rests on Florida — and his onetime primary rival Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Sunshine State is the GOP’s likely best remaining chance to claw back an edge to keep their House majority, after voters approved a gerrymander in Virginia that will allow Democrats to pick up as many as four new seats.

Now all eyes are on Florida to deliver a new map that could net the party anywhere from three to five seats, with legislators scheduled to hold a special session next week. National and state Republicans are counting on DeSantis to deliver on the White House priority and ensure their nine-month redistricting war doesn’t end in a wash.

“This is honestly an all-hands-on-deck moment, because if you lose the House, you’re going to bring, essentially, the agenda to a grinding halt,” said Florida-based GOP strategist Ford O’Connell. “[DeSantis] does this right, and it could give rebirth to his political career.”

DeSantis reached the governor’s mansion during the 2018 cycle with help from well-timed Trump endorsements and became a rising Republican star during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to him challenging the president in the 2024 election. The two had a rapprochement after Trump won, but they aren’t always in lockstep.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/23/florida-redistricting-desantis-republicans-maps-trump-00887120

7 replies

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Highlight:

'All eyes are on Ron DeSantis': Florida could make or break the GOP's redistricting edge - Politico (Original Post) justaprogressive Thursday OP

Given the mood of the nation, rzemanfl Thursday #1

DeSantis has been dragging his feet on redistricting Jersey Devil Thursday #2

Those white go-go boots are heavy Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Thursday #6

either that Skittles Thursday #7

Dump's numbers are tanking even here in FL mcar Thursday #3

Politico sucks so much .. displacedvermoter Thursday #4

Rumors are that hypocrite/ homophobe Ron Miami Blue Thursday #5

rzemanfl

(31,416 posts)

1. Given the mood of the nation,

Reply to justaprogressive (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 10:07 AM

Thursday

crazy prices, and loss of tourism, let the fuckers try.That’s my two cents.

Jersey Devil

(10,843 posts)

2. DeSantis has been dragging his feet on redistricting

Reply to justaprogressive (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 10:37 AM

Thursday

He keeps kicking the can down the road, delaying redistricting, I suspect because he fears it could backfire, so I suspect that if there is any redistricting in Florida they will not go for the maximum gains because to do so would water down many Repub districts to the point that in a wave election they could get severely burned. I would expect them to go for a maximum 3 seat gain to hedge their bets. Not good but not the worst either.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(136,572 posts)

6. Those white go-go boots are heavy

Reply to Jersey Devil (Reply #2)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 07:56 PM

Thursday

Skittles

(172,280 posts)

7. either that

Reply to Jersey Devil (Reply #2)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 08:26 PM

Thursday

or he is waiting for a job offer from Trump

mcar

(46,199 posts)

3. Dump's numbers are tanking even here in FL

Reply to justaprogressive (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 10:46 AM

Thursday

The state is already gerrymandered so I question how many more seats this could get the Rs. FL Dems have flipped a lot of state seats already. Watering down their solid R districts could end up backfiring on them.

Add to that, the FL legislature has one job - pass a budget. They haven't done that during the regular 2-month session for years. So taxpayers have to cover these special sessions that are supposedly to pass a budget. But they keep putting all this other stuff in them.

In the meantime, "the affordability" is a huge issue here. Rents are skyrocketing, as is property insurance, roads suck, and migrants are no longer available for farm work.

As an anecdote, we travel regularly across the state in Central Florida to visit my sister, who winters in an Atlantic coast town. The drive is through mostly rural areas. We always do a count of the Trump flags flying from the mobile homes and other structures we pass. We'd usually see at least a dozen. This weekend - none.

displacedvermoter

(4,833 posts)

4. Politico sucks so much ..

Reply to justaprogressive (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 10:49 AM

Thursday

Call Republican efforts "redistricting", call Dem efforts "gerrymandering", check.

Pump up DeSantis' flagging cred, maybe get him back to where they can start another 2028match up they can sink their teeth into, Rubio vs DeSantis, check.

Make this all sound like normal political give and take, cause politics is indeed a game to these people, check.

Miami Blue

(377 posts)

5. Rumors are that hypocrite/ homophobe Ron

Reply to justaprogressive (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 11:06 AM

Thursday

De Racist has been begging his buddy PedoTrump to get him a new job in DC.
So, he assumes that giving the Florida GOP 3 more seats in Congress, will guarantee his dream job at the White House or in DC.
Indisputably, the hypocritical Ron DeRacist will
have to stick the GOP’s redistricting maps up
his Italian ash. 👉🏻🍩, since this time Ron DeRacist’s flimflam ain't gonna work. In fact,
it is going to backfire horribly.

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