Tensions continue to escalate between House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, as their public feud over congressional redistricting shows no sign of easing.
A day after DeSantis mocked Jeffries on Wednesday saying it would be politically beneficial for Republicans in Florida to have Jeffries “everywhere around this state” the top House Democrat responded firmly.
On Thursday morning, Jeffries pointed to a major announcement from a Democratic-aligned super PAC that plans to spend $20 million targeting vulnerable Republican members of Congress in Florida.
He described the move as a strategic offensive push, adding that it sends a clear message that Democrats are not backing down, while also framing it as a political setback for DeSantis and Florida Republicans, whom he accused the governor of putting at risk.
The exchange of sharp remarks between the New York congressman and the two-term Florida governor comes just ahead of a special legislative session DeSantis has called for next week. The session is aimed at redrawing Florida’s congressional districts to potentially create more Republican-leaning seats in the U.S. House.
Florida has become a key front in the broader national battle between Republicans and Democrats over redistricting, with both parties seeking to reshape congressional maps in states they control ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House, making every seat critical.