The chairman of the Democratic National Committee said things are looking up for Democrats in Florida as the approval rating for President Trump hits an all-time low weeks before election.
Ken Martin told WLRN he sees hope from the top of the Florida ticket down to the bottom, and he expects that this cycle Florida Democrats will potentially benefit from the legislature's aggressive redistricting efforts earlier this year.
" This is how stupid the Republicans were on this, if I'm being really honest with you. In an attempt to draw these districts, both in Texas, Florida, and other parts of the country, they're actually thinning out some of what were typically very safe, reliably red districts," said Martin. "It's making some of those traditionally really red — ruby red — districts much more competitive."
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Martin said the party is confident of Democrat Eliott Rodriguez' chances against Republican incumbent Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar in Miami. Also in the party's crosshairs is Florida's 13th in Clearwater, where he said Democrat Leela Grey is surging against incumbent Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.
Democratic nominee Pia Dandiya is running a strong campaign against Republican Casey Askar in Florida's 22nd, he said. The district was newly created through redistricting, sprawling from western Palm Beach and Broward across rural communities on the shores of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, down to Marco Island and Naples. On paper, the district gives an advantage to Republicans, based on 2024 results.
The party even sees a chance to flip Florida's 7th that includes much of Seminole and Volusia counties. Democrat Bale Dolton is running against Republican Ryan Elijah. The scandal-ridden incumbent Cory Mills was bested by Elijah in the Republican primary. Mills won the district with 56% of the vote in 2024, as did President Trump.
Martin said Democrats are in a position to make real gains in rural areas where they have struggled to compete in for decades.
" Many parts of these rural communities supported Donald Trump, and his policies have disproportionately impacted the people that supported him the most," said Martin.
He listed things like the federal government cuts made to rural programs under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, as well as slashes to Medicaid funding that disproportionately threaten the existence of rural hospitals. Tariffs have deeply impacted access to export markets for U.S. farmers. Aggressive immigration enforcement has created labor shortages for the agricultural sector, leading some Florida farmers to slash production targets. The US-Israel war with Iran has driven up fertilizer costs as well as the price of diesel fuel, impacting rural families the most.
"If it was just one or two of those things, it would be one thing. But all of these pieces month after month, now over the last 21 months, are devastating rural economies and rural communities, and frankly, people who live in those communities," said Martin.
The optimism is tempered by the hard reality that Florida Democrats are facing the worst voter registration gap they have ever faced: There are over 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats in Florida. The Republican Party of Florida has held the governor's office and both branches of the legislature since 1999.
Martin said the Democrats at the top of the ticket — David Jolly, the moderate gubernatorial nominee — and Angie Nixon — the progressive Black nominee for a U.S. Senate seat — are vital to overcoming the mathematical and historical problems.
"Both are running highly energetic campaigns, bringing in different sorts of parts of the constituency that haven't necessarily always supported Democratic candidates in the past," he said. " Nothing is permanent in politics, and this is what I wanna remind folks. There's no such thing as a permanent red state or a permanent blue state."
Martin also expressed optimism on what he said a strong showing for Democrats could mean downballot, in the makeup of the Florida legislature. Republicans have held a supermajority in both the House and Senate since 2022.
"While we won't likely win majorities this cycle, we will start to pick up seats," said Martin. "Then over time, as we continue that momentum, that's what eventually turns a state like Florida blue. It's not gonna happen overnight, but certainly the strength of the candidates at the top, and then also our congressional candidates will help there in Florida this cycle."
He said the Democrats feel the wind at their backs. The DNC has added several congressional districts to its Red-to-Blue program, bringing in extra money and resources for those races.
" We've got a lot of momentum for sure, but momentum doesn't knock on doors, momentum doesn't register voters, and it certainly doesn't turn out voters," he said. "So we've gotta do that work here with three weeks left, and if we do, I think we're going to shock the world there in Florida."
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