The Republican Party won an indisputable victory in the main disputes at stake in the midterm elections in Florida, a state that consolidates itself as a conservative stronghold two years from the next presidential election.
” The people have delivered their verdict: freedom is here to stay,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who emphasized that the Republicans not only won, but “redefined the political map.”
DeSantis won. his Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist, by more than 20 points and had more votes even in Miami-Dade County, which was considered a Democratic stronghold for
years, reinforcing his chances of being nominated as a Republican presidential candidate in 2024.
Senator Marco Rubio, supported by former President Donald Trump also renewed his term in office by defeating Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings with no major difficulties.
Republican Tsunami in Florida
“It’s not a red tide, it is a red tsunami,” declared Republican state congressman Tom Fabricio, one of those who celebrated DeSantis’ victory at the Tampa Convention Center (West Florida), the location chosen by the governor to meet with his supporters. In the United States, red represents the color of conservatives.
Fabricio also told reporters at the convention center that if the midterm elections are a referendum on the policies of the government of Joseph Biden, the results in Florida attest to its “failure”.
In turn, the governor of Florida declared in Tampa that many Americans moved to Florida because “cities and counties ruled by liberalism saw an imposed totalitarianism”.
“People come here because our policy works, we have historic results”, assured the republican, who was accompanied by his wife and three children.
Rubio, who chose a hotel near the airport of Miami, his hometown, for his end of day party, said that the United States is “the greatest country in the world” and that the Republicans “will not allow it to be destroyed”.
The senator spoke of immigration and opined that “no country can allow six thousand people enter its borders every day.”
Florida Democratic Party chairman Manny Diaz said in a statement that they are “proud of the arduous campaigns” of Demings and Crist and stressed that hopes to “continue to work with them to create a better future for all Floridians”.
Color change
In the last two presidential elections in 2016 and 2020, Florida voters overwhelmingly voted for Republican Donald Trump, after opting for Barack Obama in 2020 .
According to the provisional results of the midterm elections, Republicans remain the winning option in Florida, a state that for years has been characterized by not having a fixed voting pattern .
Election day went smoothly and with turbulent weather in eastern Florida due to Tropical Storm Nicole, which, according to weather forecasts, will hit the east coast of the state on Wednesday night.
Cuban Republican journalist María Elvira Salazar, who will keep her seat in the House of Representatives in Washington after defeating Colombian Democrat Annette Taddeo, considered that the voters opted for candidates who prioritize the family economy.
Salazar stressed that the results in Florida are a message from the people to President Joe Biden to tell him that he does not agree with the direction of the country and promised to be a voice in Congress for Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans who are under totalitarian regimes.
Mario Díaz-Balart, another Cuban-American congressman from South Florida, also retained his mandate.
