Jen O'Malley Dillon, chair of President Joe Biden's re-election campaign, said Florida is not considered a battleground state for November's election, countering an opinion by Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, The Hill reported Monday.
In a recent interview with Puck News, O'Malley Dillon emphasized North Carolina as a battleground state, contrasting her stance from Harrison's on Florida by confidently stating, "No." Harrison has been actively expanding Democrat efforts in the Sunshine State, underlining Florida's significance in the electoral landscape.
Although opinion remains divided on Florida's status as a battleground state, recent polling data from The Hill suggests that former President Donald Trump holds a 43%-37% lead over Biden in the state. This data aligns with a broader narrative of Florida being a stronghold for the Republican Party, as evidenced by Trump's victories there in 2016 and 2020.
Despite these Republican successes, a glimmer of hope emerged earlier this year for Democrats following pivotal rulings by the state's Supreme Court on abortion access. The decisions intensified political activity, with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visiting Florida to engage with key issues such as reproductive rights.
Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is running in Florida's Democrat Senate primary to face incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott, has used abortion as a central issue of her campaign, tapping into recent legal developments to rally support.
Meanwhile, in April, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' unwavering confidence in GOP dominance in Florida underscored the significance of those rulings, citing a notable surge in registered voters that bolsters the party's stronghold.
"You're talking about a shift of more than a million voter registrations," DeSantis told Fox News, noting that older numbers indicated Republicans trailed Democrats by nearly 300,000 registered voters in 2018.
DeSantis highlighted the state's allure for those seeking a departure from Democrat-leaning states like Illinois, California, and New York. This migration trend, characterized by a rising wave of Republican registrations, signals a broader political realignment that could further solidify Florida's Republican standing in the electoral landscape.
"I do think that migration has skewed amongst people who come to Florida, not because they want to change the policies to reflect in Illinois or California or New York, but because they appreciate how Florida has done it differently from where they're coming from," DeSantis said.
However, as of May 31, data showed 5,227,223 registered Republican voters in Florida, 4,296,552 registered Democrats, and 3,495,409 individuals without party affiliation.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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