One Florida Democratic Party consultant said it could take 25 years for Democrats to be competitive again in Florida, concluding that the solution is “slow, long-term and terrible.”
It's no wonder that Republicans took control of all of Florida, essentially removing Florida's historic battleground status from the list for the last presidential election. This is the same state that tilted in favor of former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, but was flipped by Trump in three consecutive presidential elections.
and only the margin continuation Trump won Florida by 1.2% in 2016, 3.3% in 2020, and 13.1% in 2024, so Florida will grow even more. Remarkably, Florida Republicans didn't even have a voter registration advantage in the Sunshine State until November 2021, when Gov. Ron DeSantis first took office. announced a historic achievement. Since then, the growth has been explosive for the Republican Party, which some thought would be rapid growth due to Florida's liberal position in a world of strict coronavirus measures, now at 1 million registered voters. It outnumbers the Democratic Party by far more than people.
Combine this with the hard reality that traditionally blue counties like Miami-Dade are turning red for Republicans and President Trump, and Democrats are sweating.
Works from politiko of the title “Democrats Have a Florida Problem” explores some of the concerns Democrats have as they face an uphill battle to regain some influence in the Sunshine State in future elections.
“If national Democrats ignore developments in Florida, they could very well end up writing their own obituary, say party strategists in the state.” politiko The paper cited Democratic strategist Steve Scheer as stressing that if Democrats want to realistically win in the future, they must invest not only in Florida but also in surrounding states.
“If we want to elect a president after 2032, we have to start by winning the states we are losing,” he said.
The report also quoted “Beth Matuga, a longtime consultant to the Florida Democratic Party,” warning that it could take more than 20 years, even 25 years, for the Democratic Party to make a comeback.
“Everyone wants a quick and easy solution that makes them feel better,” Matuga said. “But the real solutions are slow, long-term, and terrible.”
Look — deal with it! Kamala encourages Democrats after 2024 loss:
It gets even worse, politiko [emphasis added]:
Florida House Minority Leader Fentris Driskell has been warning national donors for more than two years that without significant outside investment, the state would “continue to sink into the abyss.” Billy Corben, a Florida party activist and filmmaker, made a spectacular exit from the Democratic Party, comparing the state Democratic Party to the Titanic. One Florida Democrat simply texted a coffin emoji to Politico when asked what the state party could do next.
…
“Unfortunately, I don't think this is an issue that Florida Democrats can solve on their own,” said Fernando Amandi, a Miami-based Democratic pollster who worked on President Obama's successful campaign in Florida. frequently denied allegations of involvement. “That's going to require the National Party and its national donors to look in the mirror and say, “As a political party, we can't sacrifice Florida.''
The report cites Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who said Democrats will continue to advance in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other southern states while avoiding Florida and other southern states where she believes Democrats need to become competitive again. He admitted that he was putting too much emphasis on Wisconsin (both losses).
Jasmine Barney Clark, the Harris campaign manager in Florida, said party leaders “underestimated the fact that the rest of the country would look like Florida on election night.” He admitted that there was a problem.
“We never had a fighting chance in the first place,” she concluded.
However, the Republican Party's momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
“Florida is definitely leading the way!” said Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power.
“if @Democrats I left you with a radical plan that failed. You can join us in saving our country! That's why Republicans currently have an advantage in Florida with 1.15 million voters,” he added.
