Florida Democrats fight to restore party's lost pride in era of DeSantis

[In It to Win It]

Florida Democrats fight to restore party’s lost pride in era of DeSantis

It isn’t much fun, or indeed very productive, being a Democrat in Florida these days. Outnumbered by a Republican supermajority in the state legislature, the party was forced to sit back and watch extremist governor Ron DeSantis sign law after law riding roughshod over the rights of Black voters, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.

The humiliation in Tallahassee was the culmination of a years-long decline in Democratic fortunes, predating even the ousting of long-serving US senator Bill Nelson in 2018.

Dismal performances from mediocre candidates in successive elections turned what used to be the nation’s largest swing state firmly red, and for the first time since Reconstruction, the Florida Democratic party has no statewide elected official to its name.

Worse, registered Republican voters, in a minority only three years ago, now outnumber Democrats by half a million. And, this year, the state party faced outright elimination from a bill filed by a Republican state senator.

The only way is up.

[RandySF]

2. The Miami-Dade Democratic organization needs to be investigated.

[snowybirdie]

3. Nicki Fried

who ran for Gov. Last year, is trying her best to reignite Democrats for 2024. Wish her luck.

[FM123]

4. All the children that he spit upon

are soon aging up into the voting pool - they will not forget he banned their books, took away their AP classes, would not let them say gay, put more guns in their schools etc etc and just generally put their bodies and minds at risk every day - they will vote. And some, like Maxwell Frost will even run for office someday.

[OrlandoDem2]

5. I hope for the best and I do my part but the FL Democratic Party has been the least successful

Democratic Party east of the Mississippi River over the past 25 years. It needs restructuring and significant change from the ground up. It needs year round active voter registration drives and door knocking campaigns. Basically it needs an entire makeover. One day maybe it’ll happen.

[In It to Win It]

6. It's a catch 22 in my view

Donors have been leaving the FL Democratic Party. To be a viable party, the party needs funds. In order to get funds, the party needs to become or appear viable.

I think the Party needs outside help, outside resources and more funding. It seems that very few people (even here on DU) believe that investing in Florida is a good idea. If that's the case, then how can we ever hope to win in Florida?

I feel the same way about a host of other states, because nationwide, I think the Party needs to invest in areas that we usually avoid or don't do well in. Otherwise, we'll forever be capped at 50 or 51 senate seats.