Experts, lawmakers react to Florida becoming a 'red' state
Experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are discussing Florida's shift to a Republican stronghold as Republicans dominate major elections and the majority of Floridians voted for President-elect Donald Trump in this election.
Florida Atlantic University professor of political science Kevin Wagner says Florida's shift started several years ago and it's due to a variety of factors.
"Certainly, there was some pretty good evidence that we had people moving from states like California and New York looking for a more conservative environment, and they brought their politics with them when they came to Florida," Wagner said. "That influx of more conservative voters certainly mattered. It's not the only thing that mattered."
Wagner also says the introduction of term limits for state lawmakers in Florida in 2006 led to the possibility of relatively quick political shifts in Florida, and the popularity of Trump, who is a Florida resident, played parts in Florida turning into a red state as well.
"The president-elect, Donald Trump, is a very popular figure in Florida, and he motivates a lot of what we often call low propensity voters to turn out. And, when he's not on the ballot, you know, the republican turnout is not as strong," Wagner said.
Wagner says the key for Republicans moving forward is figuring out how to make sure Republican voter turnout remains high in Florida when Trump is no longer on the ballot. Republican state Rep. John Snyder says there's something that can be done to make sure Florida stays red.
"Really, now, more than anything, I think the pressure has never been greater for us to ultimately deliver results," Snyder said. "Here in the state, that's where folks really care about rising costs. They care about property insurance. They care about, health care and how we care, take care of our most vulnerable individuals. And so now that's what I say is it's time to get to work."
Democratic state Sen. Lori Berman says what Democratic lawmakers need to do is get more Democrats to register to vote, as more than 1 million more Republicans registered to vote in this election than Democrats. She also says Democratic leaders need to educate new residents about limits on personal freedoms imposed by conservative lawmakers.
"We want to lower property insurance, we want more affordable housing here in the state, that we want everyone to have health care. And these are all things that the Republicans have failed," Berman said. "I believe that the best government is the one where everybody has to make compromises to get to the end result. What we have right now in Florida is a no-compromise government, and so we're not getting the best results."
Wagner says that what's also key in elections moving forward is which party can appeal to the millions of voters who do not have party affiliation. In this last election, there were more than three and a half million registered NPAs in Florida.
