Still, Republican strategist Susie Wiles said it’s important for the GOP to continue to organize and be bullish about registering voters.
#Florida generator law delays registration#
This milestone moment reflects years of hard work, combined with the success of our common-sense conservative policies,” DeSantis said in an email announcing the voter registration numbers. “Florida voters are choosing the Republican Party over the Democratic Party because we value freedom and liberty and reject Democrat-led government control. DeSantis won office in 2018 by a margin of about 32,000 votes after a key endorsement from Trump, in a year when Democrats outnumbered Republicans by more than 250,000 registered voters. At the same time, the number of unaffiliated voters has swelled to 3.8 million. The most up-to-date figures from the state election agency show 5,120,076 registered Republicans and 5,095,008 Democrats. Over the past decade, Republicans had slowly been gaining on Democrats, and DeSantis and Republicans had made a sustained push on registration. Some have noted that there may be hesitance for Democratic donors to pour money into Florida given the party’s track record - most recently in 2020, when Trump carried the state and Republicans gained additional seats in the statehouse and in Congress, despite a $100 million infusion by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.ĭeSantis announced last month that Republicans had gained a slight advantage over Democrats in the number of registered voters for the first time in state history. It’s not top down, and that continues to be our big commitment.”
“We did not dismantle any operations to the contrary, we continued to build on them,” said Helen Aguirre Ferré, executive director of the state Republican Party. That’s why we’ve already started investing in Florida and are working with our candidates to ensure we have what it takes to take on DeSantis next fall,” said Marshall Cohen, political director for the governors group.įlorida Republicans are coming off a string of victories that include Donald Trump's two presidential campaigns, and have been aggressive in organizing at the local level, especially as DeSantis has gained in popularity due to his opposition to coronavirus lockdowns and mandates. “Florida is a competitive battleground in 2022, and the DGA has made defeating DeSantis a priority. The Democratic National Committee is stepping up organizing efforts in the state. A spokesperson said the group is building its general election infrastructure, with investments in media and messaging. The Democratic Governors Association has bristled at assertions that it has ceded Florida to Republicans. We need more coordination with the national party.”
“It’s not as if Floridians can’t be swayed one way or the other. “In the current state of American politics, and especially in a state with as many major television markets and population centers, you’re going to need more help,” said state Rep. There is a growing worry that big donors and the national wing of the party may consider Florida to be GOP territory after years of bruising losses. With the 2022 election approaching, Democrats are confronting a host of disadvantages as they work to rebuild campaign networks and try to reignite excitement in their party. But, she added, “I believe and I know we can win if we create the coalition of voters that are needed to win in a state where these decisions are made by 1% or less.” “Of course this fight will not be easy, but it’s about so much more than any one of us, and as Florida Democrats, we have lost so many times that donors and pundits have given up on us,” Taddeo said. When Democrats met recently for their annual strategy conference, Annette Taddeo, a Democratic state senator running for governor, said there was a clear sense of the difficulties ahead for the party. And Republicans control virtually all of state government. Ron DeSantis is heading into a reelection campaign buoyed by a national profile and a cash reserve unmatched by any Democratic challenger. (AP) - In Florida, for the first time in modern history, registered Republican voters outnumber Democrats. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) (Chris O'Meara) Decemat 3:14 pm CST By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Ron DeSantis is heading into a reelection campaign buoyed by a national profile and a cash reserve unmatched by any of his Democratic challengers. In Florida, for the first time in modern history, there are more registered Republican voters than Democrats. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters and members of the media after a bill signing on Nov. Election 2022 Florida FILE - Florida Gov.