Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will not seek re-election, most Florida delegates to the upcoming Democratic National Convention swiftly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, hoping her candidacy will boost down-ballot races.
However, on Wednesday, Jen O’Malley Dillon, chairing Harris’ presidential campaign, released a strategy overview stating the campaign will “play offense” in several battleground states. Notably, Florida was absent from the list.
“We continue to focus on the Blue Wall states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — and the Sun Belt states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, where the Vice President’s advantages with young voters, Black voters, and Latino voters will be important to our multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes,” the overview stated.
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Despite this, Florida Democratic leaders maintain that the state remains “in play” as races become increasingly competitive. They are particularly focused on overturning Republican supermajorities in the Legislature.
“Florida is not a red state. It has been a red-performing state,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, during a conference call Thursday. “But what we know is that when there are strong candidates at the top of the ticket and when people believe that elections are competitive, they do show out and they come out and vote.”
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Florida Republicans, meanwhile, appeared unfazed by the Democrats’ excitement.
“If I had to pick someone, once Biden stepped down, I’d probably pick Harris to run against. I think her tenure as VP has been disastrous,” commented Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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