Florida – Trump’s campaign seems to be doing surprisingly well, as he’s been leading the pack among the Republican candidates from the get-go. Since Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, dropped out right after the Iowa caucuses early last month, Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina, is the only one left trying to catch up to Trump, but without much success so far. Trump has a strong backing from many Republican voters and a lot of key Republican leaders have shown their support for him too.
Trump beat Haley twice in South Carolina and Michigan
In a very short period of time, Trump has managed to win big against Haley not once, but twice. First, over a weekend, he almost doubled Haley’s votes in South Carolina, which is actually her own state. Then, he clinched a victory in Michigan on Tuesday. These wins come right before Super Tuesday, on March 5, which is when Trump is anticipated to all but lock down the nomination, while Haley is expected to suspended her run. On this Super Tuesday, elections will take place across 16 states and one U.S. territory.
Republican presidential primary in Florida the real rest for Trump
The Republican presidential primary in Florida is scheduled for March 19, 2024. This is part of the selection process for the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. In this primary, 125 delegates will be chosen based on who gets the most votes. This contest happens at the same time as primaries in other states like Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio. Even though Trump is expected to have secured his nomination by March 5, the Florida primary is seen as a big challenge for him due to some unexpected developments.
Read also: California-based surgical robot manufacturer sued over Florida woman’s death post-robotic surgery
Thousands of Democrats have become Republicans ‘overnight’ in Florida
According to a recent report by Local 10, thousands of Florida Democrats will be allowed to vote in Republican primaries because they decided to switch parties in the past few weeks just to be allowed to cast their vote. And this might not be a good sign for Trump because he is considered a real threat to Biden, and voters will try and do everything to undermine his efforts to become the Republican nominee.
Several Florida counties are seeing this trend
Joe Scott, Broward County’s Supervisor of Elections, spoke about this trend during Sunday’s episode of “This Week in South Florida,” and he confirmed the above-mentioned allegations. According to him, more than 4,100 voters switched from Democrat to Republican heading into Florida’s primary election next month in Miami-Dade County, while about 2,500 Democrat voters did the same in Broward County. These switches happened from the beginning of the year until the final deadline, which was on Tuesday last week.
Read also: Surgeon General’s controversial advice on measles isolation raises concerns in Florida
The Iowa Caucus has a similar voting system, and similar trends were seen there too
Last month’s Iowa Caucus, where voters could switch parties on election night, contrasts with Florida’s closed primaries, where only party members can vote, and Joe Biden has been chosen as the Democratic winner. This has led to thousands of voters changing their affiliations to participate in the more competitive race between Trump and Haley. Despite this, five other candidates, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, remain on the ballot, having suspended their campaigns without officially removing their names, according to Scott.
Political observers continue to talk about a disconnect between voters and their candidates.
“There is a lot of disinterest, there is general apathy, there is a real concern about the candidates,” said Barry University political science professor Sean Foreman to NBC Miami few days ago. “Younger people in particular feel that two 80-year-old candidates don’t speak to them, don’t speak to generational issues.”
Multiple factors confuse Florida voters
Joe Scott, Broward County’s Supervisor of Elections, spoke to NBC Miami recently and explained why he gives voters the benefit of the doubt.
“Especially with the presidential preference primary, you do get your more sophisticated voters,” he said. “Usually people that are showing up to vote in this election, they kind of have an idea of what is going on, they know who they are showing up to support.”
Long-term risk for Trump’s campaign
While the thousands of Democratic voters who switched parties so they could only vote in the Republican primaries might not change the final outcome, mixed final results could affect Trump’s campaign in the long run, especially during the general election. That’s why the recent “switching party trend” in Florida might pose a significant risk for former U.S. President Donald Trump.
