Evan Power to Newsmax: Redistricting Push Will Yield More GOP Seats

Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power on Friday defended Republican-led efforts to redraw the state's congressional map, arguing the process would produce "fair and compact" districts while likely increasing GOP representation.

Power's comments come as Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares a special legislative session to revisit Florida's congressional lines in a rare mid-decade redistricting effort that could have national implications for control of the House.

The current map gives Republicans a 20-8 advantage in Florida's 28 congressional seats, but new proposals could expand that margin, potentially shifting additional districts toward the GOP.

Speaking on Newsmax's "National Report," Power argued the existing map still reflects older court-imposed boundaries influenced by Democrats.

"If you look at the map that we have currently, it has vestiges of a court-imposed map that was actually drawn by the DCCC 10 years ago," Power said.

Power emphasized that Republicans are not seeking to redraw districts for partisan purposes, but rather to follow legal standards emphasizing compactness and voter representation.

"If you draw fair and compact districts and let our voters have a say in who they want to represent them, you're going to end up with more Republicans," he said.

He added that Florida's political makeup supports that outcome, pointing to President Donald Trump's performance in the state.

"This is a state that the president won by 14 points," Power said.

The push for new maps comes amid a broader national battle over redistricting, with both parties attempting to gain advantages ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

In Florida, the effort faces legal and constitutional scrutiny because of the state's "Fair Districts" amendment, which prohibits drawing maps to favor a political party or an incumbent.

Power acknowledged concerns about repeated redistricting but said recent court rulings have clarified the state's authority to revise maps.

"There's a concern in us redrawing maps every couple of years," he said, adding, "what we're doing is really cleaning up the map and letting the voters of Florida choose their representatives based on fair and compact maps."

He also dismissed the likelihood that legal challenges would derail the effort, noting that Democrats frequently sue over election issues in the state.

"The courts always — the Democrats love suing us here in Florida — we tend to win," Power said.

The debate has intensified following Democratic redistricting efforts in states such as California and Virginia, fueling what Power described as a broader partisan conflict.

"We can't sit back and let Democrats weaponize the system against us," he said.

Power pointed to national Democratic initiatives on redistricting as the catalyst for Republican action.

"When Eric Holder went out and created this political action committee that gets involved in redistricting, that's when this war started," he said.

Despite concerns about escalating partisan battles, Power framed the effort as necessary to ensure electoral fairness.

"If we have free and fair elections across America, we'll have a lot more Republicans in Congress," he said.

The Florida Legislature is expected to take up the issue in the coming days, with any new map likely to face immediate legal challenges as the national redistricting fight continues to escalate.

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