DeSantis signs 24-4 congressional redistricting map; Equal Ground files constitutional lawsuit same day

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a new congressional redistricting map into law on May 4, 2026, potentially flipping four Democratic House seats to Republican by redrawing districts in Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida. The map targets Reps. Kathy Castor, Darren Soto, Lois Frankel, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and was drawn entirely by DeSantis's office rather than the legislature. The Florida Legislature approved it 83-28 in the House and 21-17 in the Senate after a three-day special session with minimal public testimony. Hours after the signing, the Equal Ground Education Fund files a 71-page lawsuit in Leon County arguing the map violates Florida's voter-approved Fair Districts Amendment, which bans both partisan gerrymandering and maps that dilute minority voting power. DeSantis's office argues the race-related prong of the amendment is now void under Callais — and that if one prong falls, the entire amendment, including the partisan gerrymandering ban, is nullified.