FL Democrats Flip GOP Seat

Florida Democrats kicked off 2024 with a Major Victory, as Businessman and Navy Veteran Tom Keen (D-35th District) flipped a Republican-held Seat in the State House.

Keen Defeated Osceola County School Board Member Erika Booth (R), 51%-49% in Tuesday's Special Election in the Orlando Suburbs that Joe Biden carried 52%-47%. The Democrat will succeed Fred Hawkins (R-35th District), whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed in June, to serve as Ppresident of South Florida State College despite lacking any Background in Higher Education.

Republicans will hold an 84-36 Supermajority in the State House, as well as a similarly lopsided edge in the State Senate, so Keen's victory won't jeopardize the Party's iron grip on State Government.

But Sunshine State Democrats are hoping that this Win, which comes less than a year after the Party flipped Control of the Mayor's Office in Jacksonville, will give them another chance to convince Biden's Re-Election Campaign and other deep-pocketed Organizations that this longtime Swing State is still Winnable.

Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who stumped for Keen over the weekend, is making the same Argument, as She tries to persuade National Democrats that Her Campaign against Sen. Rick Scott (R) is worth Investing in. She's linked the Two Races in arguing that Floridians "can’t afford to pay their bills" thanks to "the failed policies" that began while Scott was Governor.

Keen's showing comes only a little over a year after DeSantis and other Republicans romped to Victory in this District. According to Florida Data Analyst Matt Isbell, DeSantis carried the 35th District 56%-43% in 2022, while GOP Sen. Marco Rubio took it by a 53%-46% spread.

Both Parties understood that Tuesday's Results could resonate far beyond the Florida House of Representatives, and they spent heavily to Win here. Florida Politics wrote Tuesday that Booth had outraised Keen $323,000 to $121,000, but the Official Campaign Committee of Florida House Democrats, had outspent its GOP Counterpart $541,000 to $207,000 through Jan. 11th.

And the Race may have been even more Expensive than these figures suggest. Isbell estimates that Republicans altogether deployed $1.5 million, while Democrats put in $1.2 million, though He cautions that "so much money is hard to trace."

Keen, for His part, Campaigned against Excessive Insurance prices, while also emphasizing Abortion Rights. He also accused DeSantis, who procrastinated for weeks in scheduling this Special Election, of deliberately setting it to take place, the day after the First Contest in the Republican Presidential Race.

"Our governor decided he didn’t want to be embarrassed the day before, when he’s going to be in Iowa for the Iowa caucuses," Keen said in November, 2023.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker