Florida GOP anticipates 'red wave' after primary: 'Florida Democrats have to be concerned'

Evan Power, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), did not hide his satisfaction with the results of the primary and local elections earlier this week. "Florida Democrats have to be concerned," he said.

"Not only because they are in the nosebleed section in the DNC convention fall in Chicago, but because their own voters are not displaying enthusiasm for the many weak candidates [Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman] Nikki Fried coaxed into running," Power said.

According to the RPOF, theirs "trounced" the Democrats in a "sizeable election victory," surpassing them by 14% in voter turnout in Tuesday's primary. If the level hold in the general election, it would be enough, they claimed, to flip two counties, Duval and Pinellas.

Also at stake in Tuesday's election were several school board spots, of which the GOP managed to flip two, including the Duval County School Board. Democrats, however, also celebrated results at this level: seven of their 11 candidates won, and two others could still do so in a runoff.

The results were more bitter for Governor Ron DeSantis, who endorsed a slate of 23 Republican candidates as part of his efforts to strengthen his education policies. Only six won, and six advanced to a runoff, according to the Florida Voice. Eleven lost.

Regarding these mixed results at the school level, Jeremy Redfern, the governor's press secretary, argued that the party had faced "a lot of uphill battles in historically blue districts." However, he said, "you don’t shift the culture by only supporting winnable races."

Republicans have November in their sights

The RPOF celebrated the high electoral participation and early voting (7% more compared to Democrats), with Republicans of all levels repeating the same figure: there are 1 million more registered Republican voters than Democrats in the state.

DeSantis himself celebrated the news when it broke, noting that just six years ago, registered Democrats outnumbered his party by about 300,000. "Leadership matters," he explained, "Bold colors, not pale pastels."

It seems to be affirmed once again that Florida has abandoned its status as a swing state. Despite the optimism, Power says the party is taking nothing for granted. "The November election is right around the corner," he warns, "We will be ready."