Why Florida Republicans are "white-knuckled" about Tuesday
Florida Republicans aren't panicking about sluggish turnout for the midterms , but in the words of one GOP elder: "We're white-knuckled." Why it matters: Florida once looked like a much safer Republican bet for the midterms. Losing any statewide race would stun and embarrass its elite Republican residents, starting with President Trump . "I don't necessarily want to be the bearer of bad news, but…
Republicans in Florida are feeling anxious as midterm election turnout appears to be weaker than expected. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed concern, stating that the turnout may not meet their expectations. The main worry lies with U.S. Representative Byron Donalds' gubernatorial campaign, despite polls showing him narrowly ahead of Democrat David Jolly.
The GOP's unease stems from early voting data, which shows Republicans leading Democrats by only 2.8 percentage points, a significant drop from recent general elections. This discrepancy is particularly pronounced in conservative areas of the Panhandle and rural North Florida, where Donalds lost to Jolly in the primary. Republican turnout in these areas is 3.2 points below 2022 levels, compared to 1.1 points below in the counties he won.
Democrats and independents are casting ballots from people who may not always vote, which could benefit Jolly. If polls underestimate these voters, Democrats could have an advantage.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
