2024-11-06 02:02:00
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s strong overall performance helped the former Republican president to victory in Florida, once one of the most competitive states but now increasingly slipping away from Democratic control scope. Case in point: When the Associated Press declared the winner at 8:01 p.m. ET, Trump was cruising to victory in Miami-Dade County, a perennial Democratic stronghold.
Trump not only improved his 2020 performance in Republican areas of the state. He’s also winning over voters in Florida’s battleground districts and is on pace to overtake Vice President Kamala Harris in moderately Democratic areas. When the state’s winner was declared, Trump led Harris by 11 points with about 80% of the vote.
But his lead in Miami-Dade County may be the most surprising, and the most frustrating for Democrats. The county was won by Republican presidential candidates decades ago and by Joe Biden four years ago by about 7 percentage points.
When the Associated Press declared Trump the winner, more than 81% of Florida’s votes had been counted. Harris needs 73% of the remaining votes to count Trump’s lead.
Candidates: Kamala Harris (D) vs. Donald Trump (R) vs. Claudia de la Cruz (Socialism and Liberation) vs. Chase Oliver (Liberal) ) vs. Peter Sansky (Solidarity) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Randall Terry (Constitution).
Winner: Trump
Voting closes: 7pm and 8pm ET. Florida spans two time zones.
About the competition:
The last time Florida contested a Democratic presidential nomination was more than a decade ago, when Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney by less than a percentage point. The state’s voters never looked back.
Once a state with no clear political preferences, Florida’s political DNA has been altered by Democratic organizational missteps and demographic changes. Ultimately, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis captured Miami-Dade County, a former Democratic stronghold, in 2022 in a landslide of nearly 20 percentage points.
It’s not just old conservatives who left the North to spend their golden years in the Sunshine State reshaping Florida politics. Immigrants fleeing Venezuela’s authoritarian government are welcomed by Republicans, just as Cuban exiles (reliable Republican voters) were a generation ago.
Meanwhile, Democrats are having trouble recruiting candidates and are experiencing financial difficulties. Democrats also mistakenly believed that younger generations of Cuban-Americans would naturally gravitate toward the party, a prediction that has yet to materialize. Add to that the fact that advertising is so expensive in a massive state with nearly a dozen different media markets, and Democrats are politically helpless.
Consider this: The young voters voting for the first time this year were not yet born when the state was the center of political drama during the 2000 presidential election, when controversies arose over poorly punched ballots (so-called “hang” ballots) and the election. Miscounted votes were sent to the Supreme Court, and George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by 537 votes.
The state is a sizable prize in the presidential race, providing 30 Electoral College votes to the winner.
Why the AP declared the winner: Given Trump’s huge advantage and the number of votes that needed to be counted, the AP decided there was no mathematical choice for Harris to win.
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This story is part of the Associated Press series “Explaining the 2024 Election,” designed to help understand American democracy.
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The Associated Press has received support from multiple private foundations to improve its coverage of elections and democracy. More about AP’s democracy coverage here. The Associated Press is solely responsible for all content.
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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**Interview with Political Analyst Dr. Emily Rodriguez: Trump’s Victory in Florida**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Rodriguez. We just saw Donald Trump clinch a significant victory in Florida against Vice President Kamala Harris. What do you think contributed to Trump’s success in the state?
**Dr. Rodriguez:** Thank you for having me. Trump’s victory in Florida can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, his ability to resonate with voters in both traditionally Republican and battleground districts has been impressive. He not only consolidated Republican support but also made inroads with demographics that have previously leaned Democratic, particularly in areas like Miami-Dade County.
**Editor:** Miami-Dade has historically been a Democratic stronghold. How did Trump manage to flip this county?
**Dr. Rodriguez:** That’s an interesting aspect of this election. Trump’s appeal to working-class voters, especially those from Hispanic backgrounds, has gained momentum. Many voters are responding to economic issues, and Trump’s narratives about job creation and law and order resonate with these communities. The shift we’ve seen in Miami-Dade, where Biden won by seven points in 2020, exemplifies this transformation.
**Editor:** There have been comments on how demographic changes have altered the political landscape in Florida. Can you elaborate on that?
**Dr. Rodriguez:** Absolutely. Florida’s population is incredibly diverse, with a significant influx of immigrants, particularly from countries like Venezuela and Cuba. Many of these voters have historical grievances against leftist ideologies, making them more receptive to Republican messaging. Additionally, demographic shifts, such as younger immigrant communities moving towards the GOP, are reshaping the state’s political DNA.
**Editor:** The Democratic Party seems to be struggling in Florida. What do you think their path forward should look like?
**Dr. Rodriguez:** The Democratic Party needs a robust strategy that includes grassroots organizing, a strong narrative, and outreach to diverse communities. They’ll have to address the specific economic and social needs of Floridians while also learning from past electoral missteps. If they can actively engage and mobilize their base – particularly younger voters and communities of color – they might reclaim some of that lost ground.
**Editor:** Trump’s lead as polls closed showed him significantly ahead, with Vice President Harris needing an extraordinary percentage of the remaining votes to catch up. Does this indicate a broader trend for the 2024 election cycle?
**Dr. Rodriguez:** Yes, it certainly suggests a troubling trend for Democrats in swing states like Florida. If they cannot adapt to changing electoral dynamics and improve their outreach, they risk losing vital ground in an election year that will be crucial for both parties. Trump’s ability to secure such robust support in a competitive state signals that he remains a formidable force for the upcoming election.
**Editor:** Thank you for your insights, Dr. Rodriguez. It will be interesting to see how these dynamics evolve as we approach the 2024 election.
**Dr. Rodriguez:** Thank you! I’m looking forward to the developments ahead.
