LAKE WORTH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that Florida will be joining the Trump administration’s push to “fix” different issues involving the census.
During a news conference in South Florida, DeSantis said Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a written letter to the U.S. Census Bureau—also copied to the White House—requesting an extra seat in Congress, claiming the agency undercounted Florida’s population in the 2020 census, which he said impacted the number of seats allocated to the state.
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“We want this fixed now. We think it’s really something that’s important. So if that relief is given, then that would obviously force us, force the Florida Legislature to have to redraw the maps that we have for U.S. House of Representatives, because we have 28 districts,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said getting that extra seat would also mean an additional vote in the Electoral College during presidential elections.
“Attorney general told me he’s going to be willing to go up to Washington and talk to people in the Commerce Department to be able to get this right. I know President Trump has spoken about the need to fix the problems with the census,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis’ remarks come amid several states’ efforts, including Texas and California, for redistricting.
The Texas Legislature was poised to vote on Wednesday evening on a redistricting plan that resulted from prodding by Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives.
Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed the vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business. House approval of the map Wednesday would send it to the Senate for a vote as early as Thursday.
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The new map is expected to set off a national redistricting battle, with California’s Legislature poised to approve new maps adding more Democratic-friendly seats later this week.
According to the News Service of Florida, in early August, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez said he was setting up a select committee to look into redrawing congressional districts, as Republicans seek to keep control of Congress in 2026.
Perez said the select committee is a response to a July 17 decision by the Florida Supreme Court that upheld a congressional map DeSantis pushed through the Legislature in 2022. Opponents argued the map violated a 2010 “Fair Districts” constitutional amendment that set standards for redistricting.
The Florida Democratic Party released a statement following DeSantis’ remarks, calling on lawmakers, legal experts and voters across the country to reject the governor’s intent to push for more seats in Congress.
“This is yet another manufactured crisis from Ron DeSantis — speculative, corrupt, and a complete waste of taxpayer dollars,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “Floridians are facing increased costs of living, meanwhile, Ron’s trying to stir chaos to distract from his failures, all in pursuit of Gavin Newsom-style headlines. Floridians deserve leaders focused on lowering costs, strengthening schools, and protecting freedoms, not political theater.”