The Florida Democratic Party issued a statement slamming House Speaker Daniel Perez (R-Miami) after he recently announced a Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting. The criticism follows Gov. Ron DeSantis's call for a mid-decade redrawing of Florida’s congressional map, which could help House Republicans hold their paper-thin majority in Congress.
“This is corruption, plain and simple. The Speaker is abusing his power and breaking with decades of precedent to rig the system in favor of Republicans," the Florida Democratic Party said. "Congressional maps are drawn once a decade, after a Federal census, not when a political party is afraid of losing power."
DeSantis vetoed a congressional map drawn by the Legislature in 2022, and instead drafted one of his own. That map was just approved by the Florida Supreme Court.
In addition, Florida Democrats called the GOP's move a "power grab," saying it would disenfranchise the voice of Florida voters, including Black Americans, ahead of the crucial midterms next November.
They also criticized Florida Republicans for ignoring more pressing matters, including skyrocketing insurance rates, higher rent prices, and crumbling public schools. Moreover, they accused the GOP of "bowing down" to President Donald Trump by undermining American democracy.
In addition, Florida Democratic Chairwoman Nikki Fried slammed state Republicans over the idea in a video on social media.
Trump has become involved in the congressional redistricting battle after asking Texas Republicans and Gov. Greg Abbot for additional seats. The request, unsurprisingly, has been condemned by Texas Democrats, who fled the state in protest of the GOP's push to change the state’s congressional map.
Adding to the ordeal, the president recently directed the Department of Commerce to create a new U.S. Census to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population count. The move, if initiated, could have major ramifications on the congressional representation of states, as well as the number of electoral votes each receives.
Census data is updated every decade.
"This is not normal. Drawing congressional maps mid-decade will cost Floridians millions of taxpayer dollars," Florida Democrats continued. "We cannot allow this to happen.”
