Florida Deemed Solidly Red by Biden Campaign, No Longer Swing State

President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign has acknowledged that Florida, once a pivotal battleground in presidential elections, is no longer in play for Democrats in the upcoming 2024 election cycle. This revelation came despite Biden’s earlier assertion that he believed the Sunshine State was competitive.

Biden campaign chairperson Jen O’Malley Dillon was asked during an interview this week whether the campaign views Florida as a battleground state. “No,” she responded, signaling a shift in strategy.

In April, during a visit to Florida, Biden had expressed optimism, stating that he thought “Florida’s in play, nationally.” However, the political landscape has shifted dramatically. When Governor Ron DeSantis first took office, Democrats had an advantage of 300,000 more registered voters than Republicans. Under DeSantis' leadership, Republicans have now nearly closed in on having more than a million more registered voters than Democrats.

Governor DeSantis highlighted this transformation on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “For decades, Florida was the largest, most-important battleground state in presidential elections. Today, even the Biden campaign acknowledges that those days are over. Florida is not in play in 2024.”

• Historical Context: Florida has long been seen as a crucial swing state in presidential elections.

• Registration Shift: Democrats once led in voter registration, but Republicans now dominate under DeSantis’ tenure.

• Strategic Implications: Biden's campaign appears to be reallocating resources away from Florida.

Despite the stark admission from Dillon, Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground states director, attempted to counter the narrative. “Florida is in play for President Biden and Democrats up and down the ballot,” he claimed. Florida Democrat Party chairwoman Nikki Fried acknowledged the difficulties ahead, stating that state Democrats were “not naive about the challenges.”

Adding to the mixed messages, DNC chairman Jamie Harrison optimistically remarked that “the planets are aligning” in such a way that “Florida is going to be in that mix” this fall.

As the 2024 election draws closer, it remains to be seen how these strategic shifts will play out and whether Florida will indeed see a fiercely contested race or lean solidly towards one party.

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