Midterms 2026: DeSantis and Republicans fear losing ground in Florida’s new districts

Florida’s new congressional map could give Republicans four additional House seats, but Ron DeSantis now acknowledges that the plan alone will not guarantee those victories.

The United States will hold its midterm elections on Nov. 3, with Florida among the states expected to be important in determining control of the House of Representatives. The Republican Party had hoped to benefit from the redistricting plan, but the national electoral climate is less favorable than it was in 2022.

DeSantis said in August that Republicans could win all four targeted races, while warning that the contests would demand more work. “If this were 2022 and these guys were running those races, we would win all four, no doubt, a slam dunk; this year they are winnable, but I think it is going to require some effort,” he said, according to Florida Phoenix.

The governor also noted that he will not appear on the ballot this year. In 2022, he won reelection by a wide margin. The new map, approved in May 2026, redrew all 28 of Florida’s congressional districts and changed boundaries in metropolitan areas including Tampa Bay, Orlando and South Florida, where Democrats currently hold seats.

The four races will now serve as a test of whether DeSantis’s redistricting effort achieves its intended effect. The governor’s own assessment has made clear that the new boundaries do not by themselves secure four Republican wins.

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If this were 2022 and these guys were running those races, we would win all four, no doubt, a slam dunk; this year they are winnable, but I think it is going to require some effort.