TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Florida Democrats said Monday they were united behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s 2024 presidential nominee. That’s after President Joe Biden’s Sunday withdrawal from the race and endorsement of his number two. But, despite the enthusiasm, Florida Republicans don’t think it’ll matter come November.
In a press call, Florida Democrats, including members of Congress, the state legislature, and state party leaders, said they were all in for Harris. That followed weeks of turmoil over whether Biden should remain at the top of the ticket.
“Harris is the best position candidate to beat Donald Trump,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida’s 25th). “She’s also best suited to prosecute the case against this convicted felon and adjudicated rapist.”
For State Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens), the candidacy brought renewed momentum to the 2024 race. He said the energy felt like a throwback to former President Barack Obama’s 2008 win.
“I feel the 2008 effect rising and there is momentum coming from every sector of this country,” Jones said. “Let me remind Democrats and people all across the country who believe in democracy when we organize, we win, and we can win with Vice President Kamala Harris. If we get on board, and if we believe it.”
The support comes as Florida Democrats Chair Nikki Fried announced nearly all of the state’s delegates had signed onto a letter endorsing Harris. In total, 236 of the 254 total delegates, which the party said were now unbound following Biden’s drop from the race.
Fried said it was time for party unity despite questions about whether an open convention would better serve Democratic voters.
“We have to unite at this moment, we have to make sure that we are together at this moment fighting for democracy across the entire country,” said Fried. “In fact, any person who has been discussed in— I call it fantasy football— over the last three and a half weeks, each and every one of those leaders have put their full-fledged support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for president.”
The rebranded Harris Campaign, meanwhile, has been raking in cash, mostly from small-dollar donors, since Biden’s Sunday announcement. In 24 hours, her campaign said it had nabbed $81 million from about 890,000 grassroots donors.
Despite all that, Florida Republicans remained confident that the state would stay red in 2024. Members told us they don't believe Harris will offer anything to move the needle in the Sunshine State. Republicans now have a nearly million-person lead in voter registrations over Democrats.
“I have a message to Florida Democrats who are tired of ‘Tricky Nikki’ Fried's bullying tactics: You are welcome to join the hundreds of thousands who've already switched to the Florida GOP!” said Florida GOP Chair Evan Power in a statement. “We are the only statewide political party that empowers our voters to choose their own nominee - not shady party bosses.”
Power’s comments echo a new talking point for Republicans on the hat change. The party condemned Democrats for, in their words, circumventing democracy to tap a new nominee.
“They're giving their voters the illusion of choice which is not really choice for the ‘party of choice’— they’re certainly not giving any choice,” said Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill).
Ingoglia, the Florida GOP’s former party chair turned state lawmaker, was among those Republicans who said Democrats were sidestepping the electoral process, urging voters to hold their party accountable.
“Look, they're gonna have an open convention by the actual letter of the rule,” said Ingoglia. “But we know that the goose is cooked on this one, and it's Kamala Harris that they're pushing to the forefront.”
Florida’s Governor got in some Harris hits too, Monday, posting online that the VP was too “vacuous, too liberal, and too unaccomplished for the voters to buy the manufactured narrative.”
Harris has made at least ten visits to Florida since becoming VP. Florida Democrats expected she would make more stops if/when she formally becomes the party’s presidential nominee. The focus, likely as it has been, is abortion access. An issue on the Florida ballot this November.
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