California Governor Gavin Newsom has sharply criticized Florida's ongoing redistricting effort, calling it a 'bad mistake' that could ultimately hurt Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. The comments come as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushes a new congressional map that could give the GOP a significant advantage.
Speaking in a video posted Monday, Newsom argued that the aggressive redistricting push mirrors past GOP missteps. 'It's a predictable outcome, but it'll be hopefully the end of this era, and this saga,' he said. 'But, look, Trump got beat at his own game, was a terrible mistake he made for the Republican Party.'
Newsom warned that the map could backfire, especially if the political environment shifts. 'I do think if he does move forward, not dissimilar to Texas, they're going to put a lot of their Rs at risk, and it's going to be a big blue wave election,' he said, adding that any gains would be 'short-term.'
DeSantis unveiled the new congressional lines on Monday, with a map that could expand the GOP's current 20-8 advantage in Florida's House delegation to as many as 24-4. The governor argued the current maps are unfair, citing Florida's population growth and a shift toward Republicans.
'Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 census, and we've been fighting for fair representation ever since,' DeSantis told Fox News. 'Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage.'
However, some Republicans have expressed concern that the plan could backfire, especially in a midterm environment that could favor Democrats. The push comes after Virginia approved a new congressional map that favors Democrats, and it is likely the last redistricting move before November.
Newsom also took aim at former President Donald Trump, arguing that his redistricting strategy hurt the GOP. 'Lot of good Republicans were — are going to, you know, be districted out, they're no longer going to serve, collateral damage. Trump didn't seem to give a damn about that,' he said.
The California governor's remarks highlight the high stakes of redistricting battles across the country. While Republicans have used redistricting to gain an edge in some states, Democrats have also scored victories, such as in Virginia, where a new map could help them flip seats.
For more on the broader redistricting landscape, see how Virginia's redistricting defeat signals trouble for GOP midterm strategy and DeSantis's aggressive map for a 24-4 GOP edge. The ongoing chaos has left many incumbents and candidates in limbo, as detailed in this analysis of Florida's redistricting chaos.
