Rep. Haridopolos to Newsmax: Supreme Court Ruling Boosts GOP Redistricting

Republican Rep. Mike Haridopolos of Florida, appearing on Newsmax on Friday, defended his state’s newly approved congressional map, predicting it will "be a big win for conservatives, but most importantly for fairness" in the Sunshine State.

Florida lawmakers this week passed a new map backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that could give Republicans up to four additional U.S. House seats ahead of the midterm elections, a shift that could significantly strengthen the GOP’s position in Congress.

The move comes as the Supreme Court issued a sweeping ruling that limits the use of race in drawing congressional districts and weakens key protections under the Voting Rights Act, raising the legal bar for challenges to redistricting maps.

Haridopolos, in an interview with "Wake Up America," defended Florida’s approach, saying it's compliant with the law and distinct from what he described as partisan gerrymandering elsewhere.

“Well, I think it’s a fantastic win for Republicans,” Haridopolos said in the interview. “But the good news is we follow the law. As you know … in Florida, we follow the law. And if you look at our map, unlike the maps in, let’s say, Virginia or in states like Illinois, ours look logical.”

He added that Florida’s districts avoid irregular shapes and instead reflect geographic continuity.

“They’re not these crazy Rorschach tests that take place,” he said. “They’re actually keeping counties and cities together and representing the changes that happened in Florida.”

Haridopolos pointed to a major political shift in voter registration as justification for the new map.

“Remember when Ron DeSantis was first elected governor almost eight years ago, there were 400,000 more registered Democrats,” he said. “Today, there are 1.5 million more registered Republicans. And this map represents what’s really happening in the Sunshine State.”

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling has accelerated redistricting efforts across several Republican-led states, with Florida among the first to act.

Haridopolos argued the decision signals a broader move away from race-based considerations in map drawing.

“We need to move away from race,” he said. “America has moved on. We need to draw maps based on the realities of a state. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen … and the Supreme Court has affirmed this.”

The Florida map is expected to face legal challenges, particularly because the state constitution prohibits drawing districts to favor a political party, even as lawmakers argue the plan reflects population and political trends.

Still, Haridopolos said the outcome will ultimately benefit Republicans and what he called fair representation.

“It means that Democrats are not going to do as well as Republicans,” he said. “And I think that this is going to be a big win for conservatives, but most importantly for fairness [in] districts.”

Nationally, the redistricting battle is intensifying as both parties seek advantages ahead of the 2026 elections, with legal fights expected to unfold rapidly due to looming primary deadlines.

The Florida plan, if upheld, could help Republicans expand their majority in the House, making the state a central battleground in the broader fight over voting rights and representation.

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