Biden and Democrats can't let go of Florida despite GOP gains

Naomi Lim

October 24, 06:00 AM October 24, 06:05 AM

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Democrats, including President Joe Biden, are not giving up on Florida despite the state’s marquee races becoming insurmountable for the party three weeks before Election Day.

Cook Political Report prognosticators this week updated Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) reelection bid against Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) from "lean" to "likely" Republican. Meanwhile, potential 2024 presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has a record $100 million fundraising advantage over his opponent, former Gov. and Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL). But that is not deterring Democrats from launching their national get-out-the-vote drive in the Sunshine State.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM LONE FLORIDA SENATE DEBATE BETWEEN MARCO RUBIO AND VAL DEMINGS

From the economy to crime, education, and immigration, Democrats being “out of sync” with the majority of Floridians’ concerns has contributed to their struggles in the state, according to Florida Republican Party Executive Director Helen Aguirre Ferre.

“We have an advantage of voter registration over Democrats for the first time in Florida's history,” Aguirre Ferre told the Washington Examiner of Republicans' 2-point edge over Democrats. “We have nearly 300,000 more active registered voters who are Republican over Democrats, and that's absolutely significant.”

Florida has been slowly slipping out of Democrats’ reach, according to Florida Republican National Committee spokeswoman Julia Friedland. Former President Donald Trump precipitated that trend with his 2016 and 2020 election wins in the state thanks, in part, to his popularity among many Latino and Hispanic voters.

"As Democrat complacency grows in Florida, Republicans continue to dig deeper, making important inroads and taking no community for granted," Friedland said.

But days after first lady Jill Biden stumped for Crist and Demings in Orlando last weekend, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison began his national bus tour aimed at mobilizing voters in Jacksonville on Thursday. Crist was in attendance, but Demings was not. The former Orlando police chief is also not expected to appear alongside the president while he is in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 1 for a Crist reception.

"Folks, y'all ready? You ready to do this thing? You ready to turn it up?" Harrison asked the small crowd. "They say Florida can't be flipped, but, my God, y'all gonna do it!"

Kobie Christian, a Florida Democratic Party spokesman, dismissed the idea that Democrats have to cede Florida. He described it as “a perennial swing state.” Remember, DeSantis “squeaked by with a small margin in 2018 that went to a recount,” Christian said.

“Keep in mind that there is nothing that DeSantis has done to reach out across the aisle or court moderate voters,” he added. “He’s only campaigned on the most extreme cultural issues, including an abortion ban that will be front and center for many voters.”

For Christian, Kansas's rejection of a ballot measure that would have removed the state's constitutional abortion protections last summer “demonstrated that issues matter more than voter registration.” He pointed, too, to the Florida property insurance crisis as another top priority.

Florida politics have morphed over decades due to population growth, public opinion on issues, party organization, money, and political leadership, according to University of Central Florida politics professor Aubrey Jewett.

"Florida's rapid political change over the last four years has been fueled by an influx of new conservative Republican residents, the leadership style of Trump and DeSantis, and a switch in political attitudes by Hispanic voters who have come to view the Democratic Party as socialist and out of touch with their everyday concerns," the Politics in Florida author said.

The RNC credits its success in Florida to its policies and grassroots organizing, knocking on more than 2 million doors to date this midterm election cycle and making more than 5 million voter contacts. In particular, it has invested in Latino and Hispanic outreach, including through the state's five community centers. The Doral and Tampa locations, for instance, are teaching staff and volunteers to prepare permanent residents for the U.S. citizenship test's civics component.

Simultaneously, DeSantis has addressed possible low Republican turnout as Florida recovers from Category 4 Hurricane Ian. The governor issued an emergency order last week that increased the number of early voting days and locations, as well as streamlined the vote-by-mail request process, in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties. Early voting now starts on Oct. 24.

The DNC underscored its funding and staff collaboration with the Florida Democratic Party, including dedicated black and Latino organizers, backed by a paid voter registration program among other technology and tools to help with phone calls and texting. Harrison has hosted a range of events, such as Latino, Haitian, Puerto Rican, LGBT, and youth listening sessions and roundtables.

In addition to the Senate and governor races, Cook Political Report identified three competitive House contests, though Republicans are bolstered by DeSantis and the GOP state legislature's redistricting. But the nonpartisan group considers Crist's old St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo seat on Florida's Gulf Coast as Republicans' only flip opportunity, categorizing the 13th District to be "likely" GOP.

"The old boundaries of District 13 supported Biden over Trump by 4 points, 51.5% to 47.4%," Jewett said. "However, under the new boundaries, District 13 supported Trump over Biden by 7 points, 53% to 46%, a swing of 11 points."

5 takeaways from lone Florida Senate debate concerning Marco Rubio and Val Demings

Naomi Lim

Oct 18, 10:01 PM Oct 18, 10:22 PM

Abortion obtain, election protection, and foreign policy dominated Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Val Demings's (D-FL) 1 and only discussion just before Florida voters determine which they want to stand for them in the Senate.

Demings, the underdog challenger, came out swinging, calling two-time period incumbent Rubio a liar and cheat though introducing herself to the statewide voters "as the daughter of a maid and a janitor." But the six-12 months Orlando-primarily based Dwelling lawmaker and previous police chief's bluster appeared to peter out in comparison to Rubio's command of policy, apart from for his evasive reaction to a question about abortion.

Listed here are 5 times from the hourlong debate that stood out:

BIDEN Keeps Concentrate ON ABORTION AS DOBBS Demonstrates Indicators OF FIZZLING AS VOTER Precedence

ABORTION

As President Joe Biden underscores the concern of abortion nationwide, one of Rubio and Demings's most striking contrasts turned apparent when they were discussing Rubio's co-sponsorship of Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) 15-7 days abortion ban.

"Just about every monthly bill I've at any time sponsored on abortion, every invoice I have at any time voted for has exceptions," Rubio claimed. "Each individual 1 of them does due to the fact that is what can go and that is what the the greater part of individuals support."

When pressed on no matter whether he would back a bill with no exceptions, the senator included he didn't "feel that the benefit of human lifetime is identified by the circumstance."

"We're never ever going to get a vote on a legislation that doesn't have exceptions," he stated. "She continue to is not going to respond to what precise restrictions. She has in no way voted for limitations."

Demings repeated she endorsed "a woman's suitable to pick out up to the time of viability."

GUN Regulate

Coming from a point out marred by gun violence, Rubio and Demings sparred in excess of how federal lawmakers should really respond to mass shootings, such as the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub taking pictures and Parkland's Stoneman Douglas Superior University taking pictures two a long time afterwards.

Demings appeared annoyed with Rubio's policy argument right after this week's capturing in North Carolina, contending he built "no sense" just after he was requested no matter if an 18-year-previous must be ready to acquire an AR-fashion rifle.

"Individuals who are households of victims of gun violence have just listened to that, and they're inquiring by themselves, 'What in the hell did he just say?'" she reported. "Florida passed laws elevating the age to have an assault weapon."

"What helps make no feeling is that we're heading to really go guidelines that only regulation-abiding men and women will adhere to and criminals carry on to violate," Rubio replied. "The dilemma is that the Still left in the Senate and in the Home, like congresswoman Demings, are versus it mainly because they want the California crimson flag law that enables your co-employee who has a grudge and can go to a judge."

International Plan

In spite of equally remaining on their chamber's intelligence committee, Rubio's membership of that panel, in addition to the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, was demonstrated for the duration of questions on Russia, China, and immigration.

When needled on how the United States really should respond if Russia were being to strike an ally, Demings claimed there need to be an "fast" response, even though Rubio added it should really be "proportionate."

"The NATO alliance will have to fulfill and choose what is proportional reaction, and that would depend on the nature and stage of the assault," he claimed. "It would have to be an allied reaction, not basically a U.S. one particular."

Rubio and Demings were being extra evenly matched on China plan. Demings claimed the U.S. desired to "keep China accountable," significantly with regards to Taiwan. Rubio quipped that sounded like "a superior bumper sticker."

"He goes all around the point out talking a lot about our dependency on China for semiconductors, and then he voted in opposition to the CHIPS Act that will aid additional American independence," Demings claimed.

Economic system

The overall economy was not the centerpiece of the debate, defying expectations offered that polling implies it is a top rated voter issue. Rubio and Demings were asked what they would do now to provide middle-course households economic aid. Rubio criticized Demings, and Democrats more broadly, for passing trillion-greenback investing offers and for acquiring a domestic electricity plan that has relied on periodic releases from the country's unexpected emergency oil reserve. Demings, in convert, scrutinized the pandemic-period Paycheck Protection Method.

ELECTION INTEGRITY

Rubio and Demings were being grilled two times on election integrity and security. Rubio distanced himself from Republicans and 2022 gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams (D-GA), who have disputed election results in the past, advocating for identification necessities and against fall containers, as properly as so-referred to as ballot harvesting.

"I assume elections have to have procedures," he mentioned, dismissing men and women likening "what is actually occurring now to the Jim Crow era."

The pair was also asked why a federalized approach to elections was required. Demings urged Congress to move the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Improvement Act

"We never need to have that federal legislation imposed on every point out," Rubio countered. "Florida has incredibly superior election legislation, and other states are pretty fantastic."