Gov. Ron DeSantis has weighed in the redistricting process on Sunday as his general counsel, Ryan Newman, submitted a plan that appears to mirror the most-recent House plan that Democrats have called a gerrymandered map.
The State Senate maps President Simpson has offered are not considered aggressive enough for Republicans.
In a statement to News4 JAX, Newman said that the map was submitted because the governor’s office had “legal concerns with the congressional redistricting maps under consideration in the legislature.”
Gov. DeSantis will have a say in the congressional maps coming out of redistricting, but not the statewide maps.
“We have legal concerns with the congressional redistricting maps under consideration in the legislature. We have submitted an alternative proposal, which we can support, that adheres to federal and state requirements and addresses our legal concerns, while working to increase district compactness, minimize county splits where feasible, and protect minority voting populations. Because the governor must approve any congressional map passed by the legislature, we wanted to provide our proposal as soon as possible and in a transparent manner.”- Ryan Newman
DeSantis’s map puts Rep. Byron Donalds and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart in the same district, and all but makes Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s “moderate” CD 7 congressional seat a Democratic stronghold.
Rep. Murphy has announced that she will not seek reelection. The Republicans who were running to replace Murphy—Combat Veteran Cory Mills, Rep. Anthony Sabatini, Fmr. Navy Seal Brady Duke, Erica Benfield—may all pivot to the newly drawn CD 6.
Rep. Michael Waltz (R) currently represents District 6 but if this map sticks, will move just north and into District 5.
The other option for Republicans in Central Florida is CD 18, the new seat Florida gained after the 2020 Census.
