The Florida Senate approved a new congressional map proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that could give Republicans up to four more seats as the party works to keep control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.
State senators approved the map 21-17, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against it.
Florida's federal delegation includes 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with one Democrat-leaning seat vacant since the resignation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick earlier this month.
The proposed map would eliminate or shrink Democrat-leaning districts in Tampa, Orlando, and parts of the state's southeast coast.
The Florida House had previously approved the redistricting plan 83-28 along party lines.
The votes from the Florida House and Senate came hours after the Supreme Court narrowed a section of the Voting Rights Act that required some states to create majority-minority districts.
At least one district redrawn under the proposal had been a majority-Hispanic district in central Florida.
In committee hearings on Tuesday, attorney Mohammed Jazil did not say whether the maps comply with that provision.
Several Florida Republican members of Congress have cautioned that redistricting could leave them more vulnerable after recent special elections in legislative districts saw Democrats flip two GOP seats.
Critics also raised concerns that the proposal could violate the Fair Districts Amendment, a 2010 addition to the Florida Constitution that sets standards for redistricting.
Florida's new map comes after Texas revamped its congressional maps to possibly give Republicans five extra seats, while states such as Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have redrawn their maps to be more favorable to Republicans.
Special elections in Virginia and California to redraw their congressional maps to be more favorable to Democrats could mean the redistricting wars will end in a draw.
Indiana, Kansas, and Maryland all declined to redraw their maps.
Sam Barron ✉
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