Florida Legislature Approves New Congressional District Map

Why it matters locally: Florida's 28 U.S. House seats will be redrawn under the newly approved map, which will determine representation and voting district boundaries for the state's 22.6 million residents through 2030. The redistricting plan faces legal challenges over potential dilution of minority voting power under the Voting Rights Act.

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The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional district map, sending it for final approval. The redistricting plan faces legal challenges and has drawn criticism from some members of the Republican party. State lawmakers voted after Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the legislature's initial proposal and submitted his own map for consideration. The approved map redraws district boundaries based on population changes recorded in the 2020 census. Legal analysts anticipate challenges to the map under the Voting Rights Act. Critics argue the map dilutes the voting power of minority communities. Supporters contend the map creates fairer and more compact districts. Some Republican legislators voted against the map. These lawmakers expressed concerns regarding the fairness and constitutionality of the plan. According to publicly available data, Florida holds 28 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Any changes to district boundaries resulting from the redistricting effort will remain in place until the next census in 2030.