Republican voter registrations in Florida have been steadily increasing over the past few years, a trend that started after Ron DeSantis became governor.
As a result, the number of GOP voters in the state now far surpasses that of Democrats, taking the Sunshine State off the map of presidential “battlegrounds,” the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
“With another presidential election year taking shape, Florida’s reputation as the nation’s biggest battleground state has faded: Republicans now hold the biggest advantage in voter registration either major party has held in almost four decades,” the outlet noted.
The Republican Party in Florida has an 851,417-voter lead, the largest gap between the parties since Democrats dominated by over 854,000 votes in 1988, according to recent reports.
Both parties agreed that upcoming months will focus on campaigning in more competitive states, which includes advertising and barnstorming visits, as reported by the local newspaper.
“From a presidential standpoint, I think we’ll win pretty big here,” Florida Republican Party chair Evan Power told the outlet, looking ahead to the fall. “Obviously, we’re going to continue to work hard on the U.S. Senate race and down-ballot contests. But I think it’s clear we’re a firmly red state now.”
According to the Florida Division of Elections, there are 5.2 million registered Republicans, 4.4 million Democrats, and 3.9 million voters who are not affiliated with any party.
According to Democrats in the state, the political divide has grown wider due to a recent state law that resulted in nearly a million voters having their status changed from active to inactive. The law dictates that individuals who have failed to vote during the previous two general elections may lose their right to vote.
Still, the Tallahassee Democrat added:
Tracking company AdImpact already projects that Florida, after leading the nation in media spending in the 2020 presidential contest, will fall to eighth place in this year’s contest. Florida is forecast to fall behind Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, and Wisconsin, all states where the White House may be won or lost.
