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Florida GOP Gains 1.15M Voter Lead, Trump Wins by 13.1%

Dec 31, 2024, 01:00 PM

Florida has solidified its position as a Republican stronghold, with experts suggesting it may take 25 years for Democrats to regain competitiveness in the state. Longtime Florida Democratic consultant Beth Matuga attributed the GOP's dominance to a massive voter registration advantage, which currently stands at over 1.15 million more registered Republicans than Democrats. The shift has been marked by significant Republican gains in historically Democratic areas, including the flipping of Miami-Dade County in the 2024 election and Hillsborough County nearing a Republican majority. This transformation has effectively ended Florida's status as a swing state, with Republicans winning the state by increasingly larger margins in recent presidential elections, including a 13.1% margin for Donald Trump in 2024. Analysts suggest that reversing this trend would require a long-term, focused effort by both state and national Democratic leaders, starting with voter registration and addressing key voter concerns such as the economy and immigration.