Florida Democrats Pull Off Shock Wins as Republican Redistricting Backfires - Newsweek
Florida Democrats Jared Moskowitz, Kathy Castor and Pia Dandiya have all won their respective House races Tuesday night amid the Republican controlled state's redistricting effort.
The Associated Press called the race for Florida District 25 for Moskowitz at 8:07 p.m. with 51.5 percent of the vote compared to Republican Scott Singer's 46.4 percent. The New York Times called the race for Florida District 14 for Castor with 51.2 percent of the vote compared to Republican Mike Beltran's 45.9 percent as of 8:22 p.m. ET.
CNN called the race for Dandiya in the battle for Florida District 22 with 51.9 percent of the vote compared to her Republican opponent Casey Askar's 48.1 percent at 8:24 pm. ET.
The Democratic wins come as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' map was passed by the Florida Legislature and thought to help GOP odds at holding on to the U.S. House. Moskowitz and Castor's seats were impacted by the redrawn districts.
The Democratic House victories come with a grain of salt for the party as Republican Ashley Moody won the U.S. Senate race versus Democrat Angie Nixon by less than 3 percent. The AP called the race in favor of Moody at 8:34 p.m. ET with 50.9 percent of the vote compared to Nixon's 48 percent.
Newsweek reached out to Singer, Beltran and Askar's campaigns on Tuesday night for comment.
Midterm elections are commonly viewed as a test of the political environment facing the party in power, and the president's party has historically lost seats during them.
President Donald Trump won Florida, his home state, in the 2024 presidential election versus then-Vice President Kamala Harris by double digits. Winning the state was notable amid Trump's broader victory as he made inroads with Hispanic-dominant communities and counties in the state like Miami-Dade, Hillsborough and Osceola.
The Sunshine State's redistricting push was a part of a broader national battle over congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with Republicans seeking to strengthen their position in Congress and Democrats mounting legal countermeasures.
Roughly one-third of the nation’s congressional districts were redrawn to some extent this cycle, with Republicans securing favorable new maps in seven states, including Florida, after Trump seemingly led the effort that began with a push for additional Republican-friendly seats in Texas.
Craig Agranoff, political professor at Florida Atlantic University, told Newsweek on Tuesday, "These House wins show the limits of the new map. Moskowitz, Castor, and Dandiya all held or took seats that Republicans expected to improve under the mid-decade redistricting."
Agranoff continued: "The lines shifted some districts toward the GOP, but local candidates, turnout, and the broader midterm environment still decided the outcomes. Moody’s Senate win fits the statewide pattern. She held the seat by a narrow margin over Nixon, consistent with Florida’s recent Republican lean. The House results are more mixed. Democrats kept several competitive districts even after the map changes. That does not erase the structural advantage Republicans built, but it shows redistricting alone does not lock in every race. Florida remains a state where the map sets the boundaries and the voters still fill them in."
Castor reacted to her win on X Tuesday night, saying, "THANK YOU, FL-14! This victory is proof that no amount of money, politics, or gerrymandering can replace the trust earned by showing up, listening, and delivering for the people we serve. Now, it's time to get back to work."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas
