Florida Democrats think the unthinkable: We're in play

[In It to Win It]

POLITICO

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democrats, long under the thumb of Ron DeSantis, are giddy the mayoral victory in Jacksonville could be the end to a long, long losing streak.

Former TV anchor Donna Deegan’s win Tuesday night in the state’s biggest city is giving the party — which doesn’t hold a single statewide office — a glimmer of hope heading into 2024, when there’s a good chance that the GOP challenger to President Joe Biden will come from Florida. Democrats say Deegan’s win is both a repudiation of DeSantis and a sign that all is not lost for them in the Sunshine state.

Even before Tuesday, Biden signaled that in his eyes, Florida, which hasn’t gone for a Democrat in a presidential election since 2012, remains a competitive battleground state despite the Republicans’ huge voter registration and cash advantage. The president’s campaign recently aired television ads in Tampa and Orlando. And in February, Biden visited Florida during a post-State of the Union swing and sent surrogates to Florida this month.

“This solidifies we are not off the map,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “Everybody is really excited. They feel that this is a great signal and that there is something to invest in Florida.”

State Sen. Shevrin Jones, who is on Biden’s National Advisory Board, said that Deegan’s win “not only puts Florida in play but lets donors know Florida has never really been red.”