According to recent reports, there has been a significant shift in the political landscape of Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis is confident that the Democratic Party will face an uphill battle in the Sunshine State. This belief is supported by the fact that the number of registered Republican voters has now surpassed Democrats by a staggering margin of almost 900,000.
During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, DeSantis highlighted a significant shift in voter registration, stating, “We’re looking at a million-plus voter registration shift.” He pointed out that previous numbers showed Republicans trailing Democrats by nearly 300,000 registered voters in 2018.
“Part of that, I think, is a response locally where people are more likely to switch from Democrat to Republican in Florida, nonparty to Republican, than vice versa. That’s been an important component of it, but I do think that migration has skewed amongst people who come to Florida, not because they want to change the policies to reflect in Illinois or California or New York, but because they appreciate how Florida has done it differently from where they’re coming from.”
Local publications have backed up DeSantis’ statements, including one from USA Today that referred to the state’s prior status as the nation’s most important swing state, probably most notably for its role in the 2000 presidential race between George W. Bush and then-Vice President Al Gore.
“Republicans now hold the biggest advantage in voter registration either major party has held in almost four decades,” the report reads, noting that the GOP reached an 851,417-voter lead as of last month, the most significant lead by either of the two major parties since Democrats’ dominance in the late 1980s.
The state’s panhandle, a vibrantly red territory, is expected to help Republicans win in November, potentially leaving Florida an “afterthought,” according to the research.
In an X post last Thursday, DeSantis cited local website Florida’s Voice, which collated data indicating that Republican support had risen even more to 889,569 on April 4.
Democrats apparently lost 1,000 voters in the same time period.
“Florida is off the board. “It is a Republican state,” DeSantis explained.
“We used to be a one-point state, and every election hinged on, ‘How would Florida go?'” That is no longer true, and I believe it is a positive thing for the party.
