Can Kamala Harris win Florida? She’s getting a lot of support – even from Republicans
Florida hasn't voted for a Democrat for president in over a decade. It hasn't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in just as long. Out of the Sunshine State's 28 U.S. House seats, just eight are held by Democrats. And it hasn't elected a Democrat for governor since 1994.
Barack Obama was the last Democratic President to win Florida, winning the state twice.
“Florida is totally in play,” Randy Fleischer told the Florida Sun-Sentinel. Fleischer, "who’s been active for decades in Democratic politics," added: “People are gonna come out, they’re gonna come out strong, they’re gonna really come out strong for Kamala.”
Just days after Harris became the de-facto Democratic nominee, WMBB reported, "Florida is now leading the nation with the most volunteers for Harris."
If Florida is in play, with 30 electoral college votes at stake the Harris for President campaign isn't taking any chances. It has called Florida a "critical" state, and it's investing resources, working to win Democratic voters, but also working to woo "unhappy GOP," and "persuadable independent voters," The Palm Beach Post reports Sunday.
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But there is also tremendous support and excitement in the Sunshine State that certainly appears to be entirely organic.
It's been just 15 days since President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. The "sudden and immediate grassroots groundswell of support for Harris from women," GBH, the Boston-based partner of PBS, reported last week.
"Hours after Harris made her candidacy official, the group Win With Black Women mobilized a massive Zoom call that raised $1.6 million," GBH noted. "That was quickly followed by other virtual events seeking fundraising and support for Harris’ candidacy, including 'Black Men for Harris,' 'White Women: Answer the Call' and 'White Dudes for Harris' events. There have also been calls focused on Latinas, South Asian women and other voting blocs. Harris’ election campaign said it raised $200 million in that first week alone."
Democratic Florida state Rep. Christine Hunschofsky on Saturday wrote, "It’s not even 11am and over 200 women are fired up in Broward County, Florida, ready to hit the phones to elect @KamalaHarris as our next President!"
It’s not even 11am and over 200 women are fired up in Broward County, Florida, ready to hit the phones to elect @KamalaHarris as our next President! ????????@KamalaHQ @KamalaforFL #AnswerTheCall2024 #WeWontGoBack pic.twitter.com/ScgYW8fU2M
— Christine Hunschofsky (@CHunschofsky) August 3, 2024
It's not only women.
Florida, home to 21.5 million people, has 5.2 million registered Republicans, 4.3 million registered Democrats, and a whopping 3.5 million registered voters with no political party affiliation.
Add to that Donald Trump's "losing streak" in the polls nationally, his highly-controversial vice-presidential running mate JD Vance, a Florida governor whose failed presidential bid exposed his extremist policies, and voter referendums on both abortion and marijuana on Florida's November ballot, and it's hard to think there's not a chance a popular Democratic candidate running against a 78-year old criminally-convicted one-term ex-president might be able to win the state.
Then there's The Villages.
"Florida's Trump-loving retirement community" of 130,00 people whose residents are mostly white (more than nine out of 10) and mostly conservative seniors, according to The New York Times.
Its golf carts for Trump became a thing back in 2016.
Now, there are golf carts for Kamala.
"Over the weekend, hundreds of golf carts paraded around the Villages in support of Harris's candidacy, reportedly creating a traffic jam as they showed their excitement for the VP," Vanity Fair reported of the event just one week after Harris began her run for President.
500, according to one reporter.
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“'Young people are energized and so are we,' resident Joyce Wiegand told Villages-News. Said her friend Karen Wink: 'Kamala isn’t just for young people, she’s for all of us. She supports Social Security, Medicare and health care. That matters to us.'"
My mind is still blown from today. For reference, this isn’t even HALF of the total golf carts that participated. Believe me, this is a BFD! @KamalaforFL @KamalaHQ @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/SXYPGll8QM
— Barbie for Congress (FL-11) (@BarbieHardnHall) July 27, 2024
The Villages is @KamalaHarris Country! Over 200 golf carts are ready to rally for our next President! pic.twitter.com/ez3BghB2dv
— Barbie for Congress (FL-11) (@BarbieHardnHall) July 27, 2024
And there is now a Florida Republicans for Harris Committee, "chaired by some familiar names," in the Sunshine State, Florida Politics reports, including "former state Sen. Paula Dockery; Rich Logis, founder of Perfect Our Union; and Greg Wilson, who worked in GOP presidential administrations and served once as a GOP Staff Director in the House of Representatives."
Dockery said, "I am deeply troubled by the radical transformation of the Republican Party under Donald Trump’s authoritarian grip—a party I no longer recognize. I am proud to throw my full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, and I am honored to join the Florida Republicans for Harris Committee as its Co-Chair. Kamala Harris embodies the leadership our nation desperately needs as we fight for the well-being of all Americans across this great country.”
“Having once supported Trump wholeheartedly," Louis said, "viewing him as a necessary disruptor, I’ve come to see the undeniable truth: his disruptions have eroded the very fabric of our democracy. We the People are one team. Donald Trump is a divider. As a uniter, Vice President Harris is best suited to lead our nation, armed with the unity and leadership we need. I am honored to join the Florida Republicans for Harris Committee as its Co-Chair, committed to rallying our community around her leadership that promises unity over division."
Florida Politics notes current polling puts Trump above Harris by seven to eight points, but nationwide the Vice President has slashed Trump's lead in swing states, and, according to FiveThirtyEight, nationally, Harris is beating trump by 1.7 points.
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