Florida’s red wall is cracking, but Democrats are missing their chance
Summary
Florida Republicans retained the governorship, a U.S. Senate seat and most statewide offices in the 2026 midterms, but Democrats made gains and the statewide races were close. The article says Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts did not produce the expected gains, while voter suppression and Cuban American voting patterns have historically helped Republicans dominate the state.Key Facts
- Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly for governor by 1.3 percentage points, or just over 100,000 votes.
- Republican incumbent Ashley Moody defeated Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon by just under three percentage points.
- Miami-Dade County, which voted for Donald Trump in 2024, backed the Democratic candidates for governor and Senate in 2026.
- Democrats Kathy Castor, Pia Dandiya and Jared Moskowitz won Florida’s 14th, 22nd and 25th congressional districts.
- Democrat Darren Soto appeared set to retain Florida’s 9th congressional district.
- Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature redrew four Democratic-held congressional districts, and Governor Ron DeSantis signed the new map into law.
- The article cites Florida’s 2000 removal of thousands of eligible voters from voter rolls, disproportionately Black, as an example of voter suppression.
- The article says many Cuban Americans, especially families who fled Cuba’s communist government, have traditionally supported Republicans.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
