Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist
“Florida’s shift to the right-which is occurring even as the electorate in recent elections became younger and more diverse, demographic changes that usually usher in a turn to the left-takes place as its beach towns and sprawling suburbs become a magnet for conservatives drawn by (Ron) DeSantis’s hands-off approach to fighting the pandemic and his assault against what he calls the ‘woke left.’”
In a midterm election result summary, the Nov. 10, 2022 Washington Post 33A article, entitled: “As Florida Lurches Rightward, Democrats Fear State Is Firmly Out of Reach,” there is panic from the big government people.
On the other hand, others celebrate. “We have gone from the place people move to for the weather and beaches, to the number one thing I now hear is, ‘I am moving to Florida for freedom,’” said Christian Ziegler, a Republican strategist and vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party.
The state’s shift is cultural as much as political. In recent years, Florida has seen a surge in parents who home-school their children and in the number of residents who carry a gun. The state has made itself the epicenter for nationwide debates over school textbooks and the rights of transgender youths.
A Blowout Victory
Governor DeSantis was reelected by a margin of nearly 20 points, an affirmation of his appeal to the voters who have turned Florida into a haven for conservatives. And they swept all statewide races as well. Even leading to the picking up of a supermajority in the State Legislature.
Just Four Years Ago
DeSantis, with a margin of 32,000 votes cast in 2018, became governor. He has turned that into a victory route of over one and one-half million votes this election.
This even included carrying Miami-Dade, which has not been carried by Republicans since the defeat of Hillary Clinton. Miami-Dade has more than 575,000 Democrats, 487,000 independents and 435,000 Republicans, presently.
Let Us Alone
When the pandemic hit in 2020, DeSantis began showing real leadership. He pushed for an open state. Quickly showing his States’ Rights position, he bucked the position taken by the feds and reopened the state’s businesses and tourism centers. He said: “Florida was a free state,” a message that appealed both to conservatives as well as traditionally Democratic-leaning constituencies, including many Latinos and younger voters.
Susan A. MacManus, a veteran Florida political analyst and a professor emeritus at the University of South Florida, said DeSantis also succeeded in tapping into widespread unease among parents over education issues, especially in the state’s booming exurban communities, where many mothers “just felt that the country was heading in the wrong direction in almost every dimension.”
The Democratic Party’s slide in Florida, especially in North Florida, didn’t start just yesterday but has been picking up steam for the last 20 years. For instance, to find a Democrat in Congress from Florida, you won’t find one until you get to Orlando.
Some would say that’s progress!