Ron DeSantis flies to Melbourne the week of Florida's redistricting special session

Ron DeSantis flew from Tallahassee International Airport to a location near Melbourne, Florida, on Monday, May 18, 2026. The 49-minute flight in a Cessna Citation Latitude (N943FL) — a state aircraft operated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement — arrived just before the start of a special legislative session in Tallahassee.

The same week, DeSantis is pushing Florida lawmakers to approve a new congressional map that could flip four U.S. House seats to Republicans, as covered by [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/04/28/nx-s1-5798732/desantis-calls-back-lawmakers-for-florida-redistricting-effort) and the [Miami Herald](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article315526036.html). The governor submitted his proposal to the legislature on April 27, and the session began Tuesday, April 28. His office argues the redraw is necessary due to a pending U.S. Supreme Court case on the Voting Rights Act, but critics call it a partisan gerrymander.

This trip to the Space Coast — unusual among DeSantis's frequent routes between Tallahassee and Miami, Orlando, or Tampa — may signal a stop on the governor's schedule before returning to the capital for the remainder of the session. The state aircraft's recent flight history shows near-daily trips to and from Tallahassee, consistent with a governor managing a contentious legislative fight.