Florida Governor Ron DeSantis brushed aside threats from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-FL), who vowed to campaign in Florida should the Sunshine State move forward with redistricting plans that would draw out additional Democrat-controlled congressional districts.
Following the narrow passage of Virginia’s radical gerrymandering amendment — which shifts the state’s congressional delegation from an even split to a 10-1 Democrat draw — Jeffries vowed to campaign in Florida and target Republican districts in the deep red state.
“If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime pick-up opportunities for Democrats, just as they did with Trump’s dummymander in Texas,” Jeffries told reporters on Wednesday. “We will aggressively target for defeat Mario Díaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez, Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna, Laurel Lee, Cory Mills and Brian Mast. We are prepared to take them all on, and we are prepared to win. Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”
Jeffries also pointed to a handful of low turnout special elections in claiming that Democrats are surging in the Sunshine State.
While delivering public comments on Wednesday, Governor DeSantis brushed aside Jeffries criticisms and indicated that GOP-led redistricting plans could very well be in the works. “Oh, we’re gonna go after Florida. Please. Be my guest. I will pay you to come campaign, I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We’ll take you fishing. Nothing could be better for Florida Republicans than to see Hakeem Jeffries everywhere around this state,” DeSantis responded.
“Voters will not like what they see. Door is open, invitation is out there,” the governor continued before noting that he feels sorry for Jeffries. “I kinda feel bad for the guy. The far left hates him, they call him a dollar store Obama, AIPAC Shakur. He tried to ingratiate himself, but they won’t drink the Kool-Aid.”
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Gov. Ron DeSantis just BODIED Hakeem Jeffries threatening Florida if we re-draw our 2026 maps
“‘Oh, we’re gonna go after Florida.’ PLEASE. BE MY GUEST. I will PAY you to come campaign! I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion! We’ll take you fishing.… pic.twitter.com/uAN8gVXVHR
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 22, 2026
Florida had maintained a plan to proceed with redistricting regardless of the Virginia results. DeSantis called the special legislative session in spring 2026 to consider updates to the state’s congressional map, which currently favors Republicans with a 20-8 advantage in the U.S. House delegation.
The session, which was originally scheduled earlier in April, was adjusted slightly to accommodate budget negotiations and is now set to convene between April 28 and May 1. Lawmakers are expected to evaluate proposals that could add between two and five additional Republican-leaning districts, drawing on Florida’s updated voter registration data and recent election outcomes that show stronger Republican performance since the last redistricting cycle.
