DeSantis Is Betting the House on Latino Voters Who've Already Left

A new Florida map could backfire for the Republicans

One week ago, Democrats were celebrating a huge victory in the battle for the House. Virginia voters approved a measure that would allow Democrats to redraw the Congressional maps, shifting the state’s delegation from six Democrats and five Republicans to one that would likely be 10 Democrats and one Republican. This net gain of four seats was a huge win and led to a lot of back-patting from Democrats. And rightfully so — Republicans had kicked off an extraordinary effort to gerrymander their way into a semi-permanent majority, and Democrats had basically fought it to a draw. Something that seemed impossible at the outset.

There was one more shoe to drop in the redistricting wars, and that shoe dropped yesterday.

Governor DeSantis released a proposed map for Florida that could potentially lead to Republicans picking up four seats this fall. DeSantis is making the districts of four Democrats significantly more Republican.

I should mention that this map is almost certainly illegal. Florida’s constitution prohibits redrawing congressional or state legislative maps for partisan gain. But DeSantis seems confident he can get the Florida Supreme Court — six of whose seven justices he appointed — to look the other way.

This proposed Florida map is more aggressive than most observers expected and might be so aggressive as to blow up in Republicans’ faces.