When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed Republican lawmakers to approve district maps that heavily favored the GOP, he was criticized for it. Now, that strong-arming has paid off in securing a GOP House majority.
DeSantis’ proposal was even frowned upon by lawmakers within the GOP, who punished rank-and-file members who sided with the Florida Governor.
But following Republicans reclaiming the House majority on Wednesday (November 16), Republicans in Florida and nationally are now commending DeSantis’ strategy of strong-arming fellow Republicans to pass the congressional maps that he approved.
DeSantis’ Congressional maps have allowed Republicans to win four additional seats in the House on Election Day, helping propel the GOP to the House majority.
Florida Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan noted that “Republicans in Congress owe a big thank you” to DeSantis, adding that the Florida Governor’s “insistence on redrawing” Florida’s Congressional districts helped the GOP “pickup” four more seats.
Buchanan, a potential candidate to be chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee when the GOP assumes control of the House in January, added that “Florida now has 20 Republican” Congressional members because of DeSantis maps.
Buchanan explained that only one other state had more members in Congress and that without Florida the slim Republican majority “would have been even smaller.”
Praise like Buchanan’s will undoubtedly help DeSantis should he announce a 2024 White House bid as many speculate. But DeSantis’s decision to veto the map drawn by Republican-dominated Florida legislature that gave GOP leaning seats four less than DeSantis 20 will also ingratiate the Florida Governor among the GOP’s Congressional leaders.
