DeSantis Delays Florida Redistricting as Protesters Prepare to Rally

Governor hedges on April 20 special session start date, citing budget priorities as Democrats and independents raise concerns.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 9:08am

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A highly textured, fragmented painting of a state capitol building in warm, overlapping brushstrokes of orange, red, and yellow, conceptually representing the political tensions and shifting power dynamics around redistricting in Florida.The Florida governor's delay of a special redistricting session exposes the political risks of aggressive gerrymandering in the state.Lee Today

Busloads of protesters had planned to converge on the Florida Capitol for the April 20 start of a special legislative session on congressional redistricting, but Gov. Ron DeSantis is now delaying the session, citing a need to finalize the state budget first. The governor's hesitation comes as Democrats and independent voters raise alarms that aggressive gerrymandering could backfire on Republicans by flipping some GOP-held seats.

Why it matters

Florida's redistricting process is seen as a key battleground in the nationwide effort by Republicans to redraw congressional maps in their favor ahead of the 2024 elections. But DeSantis' delay and warnings from some GOP members of Congress suggest the strategy may carry significant political risks for the party.

The details

DeSantis had called for a five-day special session starting April 20 to redraw Florida's congressional boundaries, a move that would likely make it easier for Republicans to win more seats in the U.S. House. However, the governor is now hedging on that start date, saying 'it's possible you could do a little tweak, but you can't really push it very far' and that the Legislature needs to focus on finalizing the state budget first. More than 300 protesters had planned to rally outside the Capitol against the redistricting effort, organized by voter rights groups including Florida for All, Equal Ground, and the League of Women Voters.

  • The Florida Legislature's regular session ended without finalizing a state budget for the year beginning July 1.
  • The special redistricting session was originally scheduled to begin on April 20.
  • Virginia voters will decide on April 21 whether to approve a constitutional amendment to redraw districts in a way that favors Democrats.

The players

Ron DeSantis

The Republican governor of Florida who called the special legislative session on redistricting, but is now hedging on the start date.

Florida for All

A voter rights group that organized buses of protesters to rally against the redistricting effort at the Florida Capitol.

Equal Ground

A voter rights group that organized buses of protesters to rally against the redistricting effort at the Florida Capitol.

League of Women Voters

A voter rights group that organized buses of protesters to rally against the redistricting effort at the Florida Capitol.

Daniel Webster

A Republican U.S. Representative from Florida who has cautioned against aggressive gerrymandering, saying 'I've been around enough reapportionments to know it's a slippery slope.'

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What they’re saying

“The answer is, I haven't made any decisions on that, but it's possible you could do a little tweak, but you can't really push it very far. You got to get it done probably within the next couple of weeks.”

— Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida

“Don't do it. I've said it from the beginning. I've been around enough reapportionments to know it's a slippery slope.”

— Daniel Webster, Republican U.S. Representative from Florida

What’s next

DeSantis said the redistricting session may be delayed as the Legislature focuses on finalizing the state budget first. The governor has not yet set a new start date for the special session.

The takeaway

DeSantis' hesitation on the redistricting session start date and warnings from some GOP members of Congress suggest the party's aggressive gerrymandering strategy in Florida may carry significant political risks, as Democrats and independent voters mobilize against the effort.