Florida Democrats rally against mid-decade redistricting

Florida Democrats push back against redistricting

FOX 13's Evan Axelbank has the latest developments in the battle over redistricting Florida's congressional map.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Democrats are trying to rally public opinion against the idea of redistricting Florida's congressional map halfway through the decade. Governor Ron DeSantis has called for it, saying the state was short-changed of representation by the census done in 2020. 

What they're saying:

"We cannot show up to a gunfight with a knife anymore," said State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando).

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Democrats are trying to rally public opinion against the idea of redistricting Florida's congressional map halfway through the decade.

"Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis want to rig our elections. Donald Trump congressional Republicans know they cannot win next November," said Izeah Chairez, the chair of the Orange County Democratic Party.

Big picture view:

It comes as Texas Republicans prepare to follow President Trump's wishes by redrawing their own lines to add five seats to the Republican column. 

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That has led California Gov. Gavin Newsom to urge his state's voters to approve their own new maps to help Democrats. 

Monday, the president insisted states go even further.

"We've got to stop mail-in voting, and the Republicans have to lead the charge," President Trump said. "The Democrats want it, because they have horrible policy. If you have mail-in voting, you're not going to have many Democrats get elected. That's bigger than anything having to do with redistricting, believe me."

The president said an executive order is being drafted to urge states, which control the voting process, to stop mail-in voting. While executive orders are not binding for state governments, it could foreshadow how Republican states will approach voting in the future. 

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Democrats believe it is popular among voters of all stripes, with 27% of 2024 voters doing so by mail.

"Here in Florida, the vast majority of our voters are seniors that quite literally and historically have voted by mail, and most of them, for a long time, actually voted for the Republican Party by mail," said Chairez.

What's next:

The governor's office did not immediately respond to our request for comment about whether he agrees with the president on mail-in voting as he does on redistricting.

Florida's redistricting amendment that was approved by more than 60% of voters in 2010 said that districts must not be drawn with a partisan bias. The house speaker is convening a special commission on redistricting, and both Republicans and Democrats have been invited.