Florida Governor Ron DeSantis isn’t backing down from a fight with Washington Democrats, telling House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to “bring it on” after the New Yorker threatened to interfere with Florida’s redistricting process.
Speaking on Friday, DeSantis dismissed the idea that a “machine politician” from Brooklyn could dictate terms to Florida lawmakers as they move to secure the state’s congressional map.
The exchange follows Jeffries’ recent celebration of a Democratic-leaning map in Virginia, which is now being challenged in court.
Emboldened by that mid-decade push, Jeffries turned his sights on the Sunshine State, vowing to “aggressively target” eight Florida seats and calling out Republican representatives by name.
It’s a move many see as a desperate attempt by national Democrats to claw back influence in a state that has trended increasingly red.
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DeSantis, known for his “Florida First” stance, mocked the idea of Jeffries’ brand of politics resonating with local voters.
“I don’t know that he’d do very well in Chipley if he ran for office, but he’s threatening Florida,” DeSantis told the crowd. “Go ahead. Make my day. I would like nothing better than to have him campaigning all across Florida. I don’t know that he would do well almost anywhere in Florida, and I don’t think that’s something that Floridians would want to see.”
The Governor’s defiance comes as Republicans across the country push back against what they characterize as liberal overreach. DeSantis made it clear that the Florida legislature would not be intimidated by threats from New York leadership.
“We are not gonna be cowed by threats from some machine politician from Brooklyn. It doesn’t work that way down here. That’s not how we roll,” DeSantis said, adding that he expects the legislature to “get the job done.”
While Jeffries and his allies are banking on a Virginia-style victory, the path forward is anything but certain.
Even as Democrats cheered the new Virginia map, a judge intervened to block the certification of those results.
As the legal battle heads to the courts, DeSantis appears more than ready to defend Florida’s map-making authority from outside pressure.
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