Florida helped propel Donald Trump to his historic presidential win.
Record voter turnout in South Florida -- and the Democratic votes that came with it -- were not enough to hold off a surge of voters for Trump almost everywhere else.
Hispanics did not support Hillary Clinton in large enough numbers and some were not put off by Trump’s rhetoric about immigration. Instead, the economics and strong on crime and trade messages resonated with Florida voters.
On Decision Florida, Hosts Matthew Peddie, from WMFE in Orlando, and Tom Hudson, from WLRN in Miami, talked with Helen Aguirre Ferre, the director of Hispanic communications for the Republican National Committee, about Hispanic turnout in the state.
Donald Trump won 119,489 more votes in Florida than Hillary Clinton. Clinton won big in South Florida, where she had more than a half-million-vote margin. She won in Hillsborough, Orange County and in Tallahassee. But everywhere else, the election map was red.
Decision Florida spoke with Blaise Ingoglia, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, about delivering Florida for Trump. Then Scott Arceneaux, the executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, explained how Florida Democrats failed to boost Clinton in suburban areas outside of Tampa and Orlando.
