A recent interview with Florida Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz is making waves online. In it, he warns that Republicans might stay in control of Florida for many more decades. Some people are calling it an overreaction. Others say it’s just an honest look at the facts. So what’s really going on in Florida politics? Let’s dig into the facts behind the viral headlines.
Florida used to be known as a swing state. That means both Democrats and Republicans had a good chance of winning elections there. But in recent years, things have changed. Now, Republicans are clearly in charge, winning elections by large margins. Moskowitz, a Democrat from South Florida, says his own party is partly to blame.
In an interview on the “Chuck Toddcast,” Moskowitz said, “I don’t know what the future of the Democratic Party holds in Florida. Democrats had power in Florida for 100+ years. We’re 35 years into Republican rule. We may be here for another 70.”
That’s a bold statement. But when you look at the numbers and the history, it starts to make sense.
One of the biggest problems for Democrats right now is voter registration. There are now about 1.2 million more registered Republicans in Florida than there are Democrats. That’s a huge gap—and it makes it very hard for Democrats to win statewide races.
How did this happen? There are a few reasons.
First, many people have moved to Florida from other states, especially since 2020. A lot of them came from places like New York and California—states run by Democrats. But many of these new Florida residents are more conservative and didn’t like the strict COVID-19 rules in their old states. They appreciated Florida’s more open approach during the pandemic, led by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
That brings us to another key point: COVID-19. Moskowitz admits that the pandemic changed things politically. While many Democrat-run states kept schools closed for a long time, Florida opened schools early. At the time, some criticized that decision. But now, even Moskowitz says the data showed that COVID-19 wasn’t spreading much in schools.
“The closing of schools, the fact that Florida opened schools early because the data was clear it wasn’t spreading in schools, that’s a big piece,” he said. “COVID was a seminal moment in politics.”
Governor DeSantis’ leadership during the pandemic helped boost his popularity. In 2018, he barely won the election. But by 2022, he was re-elected by almost 20 points. That’s a huge shift in just four years.
But it’s not just about COVID. Moskowitz also points to problems inside the Democratic Party. He says it’s hard to raise money or get good candidates to run for office in Florida because Democrats haven’t held power there in decades. He even said getting people to move to Tallahassee, the state capital, is tough because there’s no political power or excitement for Democrats there.
In short, Moskowitz isn’t just complaining. He’s giving an inside look at why his party is struggling so badly in Florida. And he’s warning that if things don’t change, the GOP could dominate the state for the rest of the century.
That’s not a crazy prediction. It’s based on current trends: more Republican voters, strong Republican leadership, and a Democratic Party that’s losing ground fast.
So, is Florida a red state now? Yes, and it’s not just by a little. The numbers, the elections, and even Democrats like Moskowitz are saying the same thing.
Unless Democrats can rebuild their message, fix their strategy, and connect with Florida voters again, they may be sitting on the sidelines for a very long time. For now, it looks like the Sunshine State is shining bright red.