April 28, 2026 • 7 mins
Ryan talks with National Politics Reporter for NBC News Matt Dixon about Ron DeSantis releasing a new congressional map that would give Florida four additional GOP leaning seats.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Ryan Gorman Show podcast presented by Verah and Farah
accident attorneys.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Tama Let's bring in National politics reporter for NBC News,
Matt Dixon is with us. He's also author of the
book Swamp Monsters, and you can find him on x
for more at m Dixon fifty five. Matt, it's really
great to talk to you this morning. I know you've
been following this redistricting effort here in Florida very closely,
(00:28):
and let me start with this. What does the map
the governor DeSantis released yesterday?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What does it aim to do well?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
The top line on this is going to be the
map on paper, and on paper is really important because
on paper versus how a district performs is very different.
But on paper, there would be four additional Republican leaning
seats in Florida's twenty eight member congressional delegation. That delegation
is currently twenty eight twenty Republicans and eight Democrats. If
(00:59):
this map were to hold and perform the way the
governor wants it, it would go up to twenty four
Republicans in the twenty eight member delegation. So that's kind
of the top line to Santas drew a pretty aggressive
reach raw. A lot of people thought that he would
aim for three additional congressional seats for Republicans. He got
up to four. It's inevitably going to court. There's already
lawsuit challenges. Most believe that the Republican led legislature will
(01:23):
pass these maps in the real ballgame outside of outside
of the state capitol, will be in the courthouse.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So let's talk about the case the governor is making.
He's essentially saying, correct me if I'm wrong here, But
the fair district's amendment that voters passed here in Florida
and the maps created because of it both unconstitutional and
that Florida was undercounted in the twenty twenty census. So
that's why we need this mid decade redistricting. How strong
(01:53):
is that case, which, like you said, obviously going to
be challenging court if the legislature approves the new.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Master, it's yet to be seen.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
This has been sort of a broader legal push for
DeSantis for years now. He had talked about it during
past or districting cycles to go after fair districts, and
for those who might not remember, it's anti gerrymandering language
and the state constitution functionally saying that maps can't be
drawn to favor or disfavor any specific political party. There
has to be consideration for certain districts to use sort
(02:24):
of racial metrics to make sure there's representation in certain
areas of the state. So those are sort of the
basic tenets of fair districts DeSantis as long aside the
racial component of it is at odds with federal law.
And he is now, I think, going to use this
map as a vehicle to try to get to the
Florida Supreme Court, which is where it'll almost certainly go.
(02:46):
And if the court upholds these maps, it would be
a pretty big body blow to fair districts, and that's
kind of I think this is the moment he sees
to really kind of go and do that. But it's
been a long sort of, you know, passion project of his.
He doesn't believe fair districts is constitutional, and he's going
to kind of I think he used this map to
try to water down or even get it overturned based
(03:08):
on how the court views things.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
We're joined by National Politics support for NBC News Matt Dixon,
someone who's been covering Florida politics for a long time.
I'm certainly not the only one to make this point,
but I want to ask you about the fact that
these proposed maps the governor put out, they only deal
with the congressional delegation. This is not a complete redrawing
(03:34):
of the state when it comes to legislative seats, and
to me, it seems like kind of a tell.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yes the governor.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
The governor has openly said that what Florida is doing
is independent of sort of the broader mid decade registricting
that's been happening around the country. There's been seven states,
both Republican and Democrat. It started in Texas with the
Republicans late last year that have been out of a
normal redistricting calendar redrawing their lines, and in other states
(04:08):
they've openly talked about the idea that this is an
attempt for Republicans to have their slim majority in the
US House. None of that language has been applied here
because of fair districts. So, as you had mentioned to Santus,
talked about the census, for instance, and being undercount So
much of the language here has been about census data,
and it's been about trying to distance Florida from the
(04:32):
very open and acknowledged sort of redistricting war happening nationally.
But you're right, I mean, I don't think there are
many people who think that we would be going back
into the state capital state to watch them to debate
maps in twenty twenty six if there wasn't broader dominoes
falling across the country.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Right, And the map he put out was red and blue. Yeah, yes,
now that's well.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
And that initially caught a lot lot of people off guard.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
That got the initial attention because of sort of avoiding
open partisan or political signifiers. Lawmakers for years during back
even before fair districts have tried to downplay the idea
that this is all political. So that map was was
sort of striking to a lot of people, and people said, well,
it's clearly at odds with fair districts.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
This shows political intent.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
But then later in the day, Governor DeSantis released a
memo urging lawmakers to support the map, and in that
map he basically made the case that we are going
to argue fair districts as illegal or unconstitutional. So it
made a little bit more sense functionally. Functionally, DeSantis is
kind of going to lean into the partisanship of this,
which would in the past post fair districts been avoided.
(05:46):
But his entire cases, we don't need to necessarily follow
follow fair districts because we're going to make the case
that shouldn't exist.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Last question for you, what are you hearing from members
of the congressional delegation ones that will be impacted. Not
the Democrats, obviously we know their objections to it, but
have you heard objections from Republicans even privately, about what
this could mean for them and their re election bid?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Almost universally, I would say, at both the state and
the congressional level, and some congressional Republicans from Florida's spoken
out against this publicly.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Nobody really wants to do this.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
It's an overwhelming majority in the state House and state Senate,
and at the end of the day, these are state lawmakers,
not federal lawmakers. So in a lot of conversations I've had,
the sentiment has sort of been this just isn't the
hill we want to die on. State lawmakers, even state Republicans,
don't really want to do this, don't see a need.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
They're just kind of, you know, just aantis is forcing
their hand.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
But at the end of the day those maps will
get passed almost certainly out of the legislature, but certainly
there has been especially in the Tampa in the Miami areas,
some incumbents in those areas are going to probably they're
going to remain on paper, what are Republican leaning seats,
But in a twenty twenty six mid term environment where
(07:08):
Republicans have been losing seats across the country, including in
Florida two Democrats, there is a concern that the margins
in those seats are going to get much smaller and
it could cross incumbents their seats.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
National Politics, reported for NBC News and author of Swamp Monsters,
a great book on Governor DeSantis and President Trump. Man
Dixon with us so you can follow him on x
for more at m Dixon fifty five. Matt really appreciate
time and inside this morning. Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Thank you us and live to have a Ryan Gorman
Show on iHeartRadio every weekday morning on WIOD and Miami,
w FLA and Tampa Presented by Verah and Farah Accident Attorneys,
Tampa
The Ryan Gorman Show podcast presented by Verah and Farah
accident attorneys.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Tama Let's bring in National politics reporter for NBC News,
Matt Dixon is with us. He's also author of the
book Swamp Monsters, and you can find him on x
for more at m Dixon fifty five. Matt, it's really
great to talk to you this morning. I know you've
been following this redistricting effort here in Florida very closely,
(00:28):
and let me start with this. What does the map
the governor DeSantis released yesterday?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What does it aim to do well?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
The top line on this is going to be the
map on paper, and on paper is really important because
on paper versus how a district performs is very different.
But on paper, there would be four additional Republican leaning
seats in Florida's twenty eight member congressional delegation. That delegation
is currently twenty eight twenty Republicans and eight Democrats. If
(00:59):
this map were to hold and perform the way the
governor wants it, it would go up to twenty four
Republicans in the twenty eight member delegation. So that's kind
of the top line to Santas drew a pretty aggressive
reach raw. A lot of people thought that he would
aim for three additional congressional seats for Republicans. He got
up to four. It's inevitably going to court. There's already
lawsuit challenges. Most believe that the Republican led legislature will
(01:23):
pass these maps in the real ballgame outside of outside
of the state capitol, will be in the courthouse.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So let's talk about the case the governor is making.
He's essentially saying, correct me if I'm wrong here, But
the fair district's amendment that voters passed here in Florida
and the maps created because of it both unconstitutional and
that Florida was undercounted in the twenty twenty census. So
that's why we need this mid decade redistricting. How strong
(01:53):
is that case, which, like you said, obviously going to
be challenging court if the legislature approves the new.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Master, it's yet to be seen.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
This has been sort of a broader legal push for
DeSantis for years now. He had talked about it during
past or districting cycles to go after fair districts, and
for those who might not remember, it's anti gerrymandering language
and the state constitution functionally saying that maps can't be
drawn to favor or disfavor any specific political party. There
has to be consideration for certain districts to use sort
(02:24):
of racial metrics to make sure there's representation in certain
areas of the state. So those are sort of the
basic tenets of fair districts DeSantis as long aside the
racial component of it is at odds with federal law.
And he is now, I think, going to use this
map as a vehicle to try to get to the
Florida Supreme Court, which is where it'll almost certainly go.
(02:46):
And if the court upholds these maps, it would be
a pretty big body blow to fair districts, and that's
kind of I think this is the moment he sees
to really kind of go and do that. But it's
been a long sort of, you know, passion project of his.
He doesn't believe fair districts is constitutional, and he's going
to kind of I think he used this map to
try to water down or even get it overturned based
(03:08):
on how the court views things.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
We're joined by National Politics support for NBC News Matt Dixon,
someone who's been covering Florida politics for a long time.
I'm certainly not the only one to make this point,
but I want to ask you about the fact that
these proposed maps the governor put out, they only deal
with the congressional delegation. This is not a complete redrawing
(03:34):
of the state when it comes to legislative seats, and
to me, it seems like kind of a tell.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yes the governor.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
The governor has openly said that what Florida is doing
is independent of sort of the broader mid decade registricting
that's been happening around the country. There's been seven states,
both Republican and Democrat. It started in Texas with the
Republicans late last year that have been out of a
normal redistricting calendar redrawing their lines, and in other states
(04:08):
they've openly talked about the idea that this is an
attempt for Republicans to have their slim majority in the
US House. None of that language has been applied here
because of fair districts. So, as you had mentioned to Santus,
talked about the census, for instance, and being undercount So
much of the language here has been about census data,
and it's been about trying to distance Florida from the
(04:32):
very open and acknowledged sort of redistricting war happening nationally.
But you're right, I mean, I don't think there are
many people who think that we would be going back
into the state capital state to watch them to debate
maps in twenty twenty six if there wasn't broader dominoes
falling across the country.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Right, And the map he put out was red and blue. Yeah, yes,
now that's well.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
And that initially caught a lot lot of people off guard.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
That got the initial attention because of sort of avoiding
open partisan or political signifiers. Lawmakers for years during back
even before fair districts have tried to downplay the idea
that this is all political. So that map was was
sort of striking to a lot of people, and people said, well,
it's clearly at odds with fair districts.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
This shows political intent.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
But then later in the day, Governor DeSantis released a
memo urging lawmakers to support the map, and in that
map he basically made the case that we are going
to argue fair districts as illegal or unconstitutional. So it
made a little bit more sense functionally. Functionally, DeSantis is
kind of going to lean into the partisanship of this,
which would in the past post fair districts been avoided.
(05:46):
But his entire cases, we don't need to necessarily follow
follow fair districts because we're going to make the case
that shouldn't exist.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Last question for you, what are you hearing from members
of the congressional delegation ones that will be impacted. Not
the Democrats, obviously we know their objections to it, but
have you heard objections from Republicans even privately, about what
this could mean for them and their re election bid?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Almost universally, I would say, at both the state and
the congressional level, and some congressional Republicans from Florida's spoken
out against this publicly.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Nobody really wants to do this.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
It's an overwhelming majority in the state House and state Senate,
and at the end of the day, these are state lawmakers,
not federal lawmakers. So in a lot of conversations I've had,
the sentiment has sort of been this just isn't the
hill we want to die on. State lawmakers, even state Republicans,
don't really want to do this, don't see a need.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
They're just kind of, you know, just aantis is forcing
their hand.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
But at the end of the day those maps will
get passed almost certainly out of the legislature, but certainly
there has been especially in the Tampa in the Miami areas,
some incumbents in those areas are going to probably they're
going to remain on paper, what are Republican leaning seats,
But in a twenty twenty six mid term environment where
(07:08):
Republicans have been losing seats across the country, including in
Florida two Democrats, there is a concern that the margins
in those seats are going to get much smaller and
it could cross incumbents their seats.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
National Politics, reported for NBC News and author of Swamp Monsters,
a great book on Governor DeSantis and President Trump. Man
Dixon with us so you can follow him on x
for more at m Dixon fifty five. Matt really appreciate
time and inside this morning. Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Thank you us and live to have a Ryan Gorman
Show on iHeartRadio every weekday morning on WIOD and Miami,
w FLA and Tampa Presented by Verah and Farah Accident Attorneys,
Tampa
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