Projections have made it clear: President Trump has won Florida.
Trump’s victory in the state, according to Fox News, means that attention will now be focused on the Midwest to see if Joe Biden can secure wins in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the Sun Belt.
Every candidate who has gone on to be president since 1996 has won the state. Florida has only voted for the losing candidate twice since 1928.
Both Biden and Trump expended tremendous resources in the state over the last few weeks, with Biden aided by a $100-million-plus effort from Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and brief Democratic presidential candidate.
In the days leading up to Nov. 3, Trump and Biden held dueling rallies in the state, often in the same cities, such as when the two held same-day get-out-the-vote events in Tampa on Oct. 29. By the end of last week, over 7 million Floridians had already cast their ballots — nearly half of the state’s 14.4 million registered voters.
Trump’s victory represents the GOP’s hold on the state, buoyed by an impressive showing by Latino voters in Miami-Dade County, which boasts a Republican governor and two senators.
Concerns about the coronavirus pandemic remained at the top of voters’ minds through Election Day, with Trump promising brighter days ahead while Biden attacked the president for an inadequate response.
“You know the bottom line, though? You’re going to get better. You’re going to get better,” Trump said Thursday afternoon. “If I can get better, anybody can get better, and I got better fast.”
Trump’s message, despite heavy criticism from both Democrats and the media, earned him enough confidence from voters in Florida for another four years, even with the state close to seeing a record of new coronavirus cases.
