While Tuesday’s election night may not have been the red wave Republicans were hoping for, one Republican and his state did have an incredible night — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis won reelection handily, defeating Democrat Charlie Crist with a nearly 20-point landslide. This victory for DeSantis beats out former President Donald Trump’s 2020 margin in Florida.
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The Florida governor was greeted with loud cheers from supporters at his victory party. In his speech, DeSantis declared it a “win for the ages.”
“We stood our ground. We did not back down,” he said. “We had the conviction to guide us, and we had the courage to lead. We made promises to the people, and we have delivered on those promises.”
A significant victory for DeSantis came from Miami-Dade County, a majorly Hispanic county that typically voted Democratic in previous elections. He became the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win in the county since 2002. DeSantis won 53% of the vote in Miami-Dade, comparable to Trump’s 43% win in 2020.
Wins across all levels show Florida may no longer be a swing state. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also achieved victory last night, defeating Democratic challenger Val Demings for reelection with 57.7% of the vote, compared to Demings’s 41.3%.
Florida Republicans’ wins in the House were to be expected after GOP lawmakers engaged in redistricting that favored Republican candidates. The GOP will now hold 20 of Florida’s 28 seats in the House.
However, Democrats do have something to celebrate — the election of Maxwell Alejandro Frost to represent Florida’s 10th Congressional District. Frost will be the first Gen Z representative in Congress.
Looking ahead, it is possible DeSantis will ride his landslide victory for only two years, as he is considered a top 2024 GOP presidential candidate. He was greeted with chants of “Two more years!” as he delivered his victory speech Tuesday night. He will most likely face off against Trump, who has strongly indicated his intention to run for president again.
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Tensions between the two are already rising, despite Trump stating that there is “no tiff.” Days before the polls closed, Trump announced a Miami-Dade County rally with Rubio but not DeSantis. DeSantis then advertised a rival event four hours northwest in Hillsborough County.
