ep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., defended Florida’s new congressional map Wednesday during an appearance on Newsmax after a judge’s ruling that the state’s redistricting plan can remain in place while legal challenges continue.
The ruling allows Florida to move forward with a map Republicans say better reflects the state’s political makeup, while critics contend it unfairly favors the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Speaking on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America Early,” Fine said he was not surprised by the court’s decision.
“No, I’m not surprised to see the maps be held up in court,” Fine said. “What Florida did was eliminate racial gerrymandering in our maps.”
Fine said previous congressional districts were drawn to favor Democrat candidates.
“We were required by law to gerrymander districts to make sure that one group of people, Black Americans who were of one party, the Democratic Party, could win seats,” he said. “No other racial group, no other party was entitled to those same privileges.”
Fine added that after courts ruled states could no longer engage in racial gerrymandering, Florida’s maps were redrawn to be “more compact” and “more aligned geographically.”
“And as a result, because Florida is an overwhelmingly Republican state, it appears that there now are seats that Republicans can win,” he said.
The revised map could help Republicans gain as many as four additional House seats, making Florida a major battleground in the fight for control of Congress.
Fine also weighed in on redistricting battles in other states, including South Carolina and Alabama.