Republicans dominate Florida's government. But Election Day is getting closer, and state Democrats' hopes are getting higher.
"The Republican supermajority in this legislature is breakable, and we are going to break it this cycle,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried at a Monday press conference.
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The supermajority allows Republican lawmakers to easily advance their priorities, unless there's infighting. Democrats hold little power in the Capitol.
But Evan Power, chair of the Republican Party of Florida, pushed back on the optimism.
“Today the [Florida Democrats] are going to hold a press conference on their path to victory,” he said in a social media post. “I’ll help out — there isn’t one.”
Today the @FlaDems are going to hold a press conference on their path to victory
— Evan Power (@EvanPower) July 13, 2026
I’ll help out- there isn’t one
But Fried and other Democrats on Monday said this year is more promising than recent election cycles, and not just on the state legislative front. A national political action committee is investing $20 million to help them win congressional seats.
She pointed to other numbers, too: “More than 3,000 volunteers have joined us to reach 1.5 million voters by phone and at the door already this cycle,” she said. “Since November 2024, more than 1,600 Floridians have come to us wanting to run for office, nearly double the previous cycle.”
The enthusiasm also follows two Democrats flipping legislative seats from red to blue in a March special election and other wins for the party.
“What we're seeing in the state now is grounded in election data that shows not only is Florida poised to be a top battleground this November, Democrats here are actually outperforming their counterparts in special elections nationwide,” said Anders Croy, a senior communications adviser for Democrats' legislative campaign.
Regardless, it's an uphill climb. There are 1.5 million more registered Republican voters in Florida than Democratic ones.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
