Seats Most At Risk From Florida Redistricting Plan

By Kate PlummerSenior US News ReporterShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.If Florida creates a new electoral map it could boost the Republican Party's strong majority in the state by four seats and stop the Democrats from flipping the House in the upcoming midterm elections—though significant challenges mean this outcome is far from likely.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday unveiled a proposed new congressional map for the state that could boost Republicans’ hold on the U.S. House, escalating a high-stakes redistricting fight tied to President Donald Trump’s nationwide push to redraw congressional lines ahead of the midterm elections.The map, released by DeSantis’ office ahead of a special legislative session, would likely create up to four additional GOP-leaning districts if approved by Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature. DeSantis said the proposal reflects population shifts since the 2020 Census and anticipates a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on how race can be considered when drawing districts.This comes after Virginia voters approved a statewide referendum to enact a new congressional map that could net Democrats up to four additional U.S. House seats. However, the new maps have been paused pending a legal challenge. Meanwhile, there have been other redistricting efforts in other states including Texas, California, Missouri and Ohio.Newsweek reached out to DeSantis' office by email to comment on this story.Why It Matters For The MidtermsThere has been a national redistricting fight in which Republicans and Democrats alike have attempted to draw new state maps to impact the results of future votes.Redistricting could have a major impact on upcoming elections, including the November 2026 midterms, which will affect the balance of power in Congress and, in turn, Trump's ability to carry out his agenda. Republicans have a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, so every seat matters. Traditionally, the party that does not hold the White House tends to do better in midterm elections.Florida is a strong Republican state but Democrats have performed well in special elections in Florida and redistricting could neutralize the potential Democratic threat.What Seats Are at Risk?There are 28 House seats in Congress: 20 Republicans and 8 Democrats.According to political analyst Dave Wasserman, the four Democratic seats most impacted by the map are Florida 9th, 14th, 23rd and 25th congressional districts. They are held, respectively, by Darren Soto, Kathy Castor, Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.These seats are at risk in part because Castor's Tampa-based district would be dismantled and the Democratic base would be split among several GOP-leaning districts. Soto's district would be carved up and split among Republican-favoring seats. And redrawn boundaries would compress Wasserman Schultz' and Moskowitz' seats into fewer seats.Newsweek reached out the Florida Democratic Party by website form to comment on this story....Writing in a memo before the map was published, Alex Alvarado, a Republican political analyst for the Civic Data and Research Institute, said that an aggressive redistricting effort could see the GOP winning three more districts but that there would be no net gain for the party.Republican strategist Karl Rove also told Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade that…

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