DeSantis calls for special session on Florida 2026 redistricting

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will issue a proclamation on Jan. 7 calling for a special legislative session in April to address congressional redistricting, the latest in a series of GOP-led states heeding a push from President Donald Trump to try to create a more favorable electoral climate for his party in the 2026 midterms.

The regular Florida legislative session is scheduled for Jan. 13–March 13 this year.

DeSantis, who announced the move at an infrastructure funding press conference in Steinhatchee, Florida, said the state needs to wait for a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act before moving forward with new maps.

The timing of the special session, however, could require lawmakers to delay the candidate qualifying period for congressional races, currently scheduled for late April.

Also, the proposed schedule would conflict with the Florida state House’s existing redistricting timeline. In August, Florida state House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican from Miami, announced the creation of a Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting.

Overall, the timing and substance of Florida’s redistricting process carry national political stakes, as Republicans seek to protect their narrow majority in the U.S. House.

With control of the chamber potentially hinging on a handful of seats, any changes to Florida’s congressional map, which is one of the largest Republican delegations in the country, could play an outsized role in the 2026 election cycle. Currently there are 20 Republican representatives from Florida and eight Democrats. 

“We also need to see (how) our population has changed so much in the last four or five years ... we need to get apportioned properly, and people deserve equal representation,” DeSantis said. 

Last summer, Texas, upon the urging of Trump, passed a new map in an effort to swing a handful of seats to Republicans. California voters then approved a ballot measure in November to benefit Democrats. 

More recently, GOP lawmakers in Indiana rejected a pressure campaign from the White House to redistrict. And the Republican speaker of the Kansas state House said the votes likely aren't there in his state, either.

In 2010, Florida voters passed amendments to the state constitution, including prohibiting drawing district lines “to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party.” 

James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow on him X: @CallTallahassee. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL.