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Former President Trump solidified Florida as a deep-red state, flipping multiple counties, including Miami-Dade, which hadn’t gone Republican in 36 years, according to The Hill.
The Tampa area, Jacksonville’s Duval County, and much of Central Florida also turned red. Trump won the state by a 13-point margin, a significant jump from his previous 3-point win in 2020 and 1-point win in 2016, proving his strong influence in Florida.
In Florida, as in much of the country, the economy and immigration were top voter issues. AP VoteCast reported that 41% prioritized the economy, 23% immigration, and 9% abortion. Republicans credit their success to a conservative populist stance on these critical issues.
“Now we have Trump crushing it by 13 points. Part of that is kind of an affirmation of [Trump’s] agenda on issues like immigration, economy and inflation,” said Justin Sayfie, a Florida-based Republican strategist.
“What Trump helped add to the conversation is he helped a lot of Florida politicians speak populist conservatism. I mean, that’s how you win Miami Dade,” said Florida Republican strategist Ford O’Connell.
O’Connell also predicted Duval County voting red would represent how Georgia votes; it also went red.
Trump’s messaging resonated with Florida’s Latino population, especially in Miami-Dade and Osceola counties. He flipped Osceola, carried by Clinton and Biden, by just over one point. Miami-Dade has a large Cuban American population, while Osceola is home to many Puerto Ricans.
Florida Republicans, including Sayfie, attribute the results to factors like population growth, Gov. Ron DeSantis’s handling of the pandemic, a more robust GOP infrastructure, and Trump’s move to Florida in 2020, which solidified the state’s political importance.
Holy #Florida.
It’s official, Florida is a Deep Red state and they ain’t ever going back. pic.twitter.com/egj35KNh7n
— RD (@RayDenaro) November 5, 2024
As for the 2024 election, Florida now has over a million more registered Republicans than Democrats. Former Governor Rick Scott won his Senate reelection decisively on Tuesday, defeating former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.) by over 12 points, a significant increase from his previous narrow wins.
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