The chair of the Florida Democratic Party insists that the state is in play in the 2024 presidential race, despite a string of Republican victories in major elections in recent years.
Nikki Fried told NBC2 that momentum is growing within the party and said President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out has sparked positive energy. Since his announcement a week ago and the emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris as the expected nominee, Fried said the party has seen more than 10,000 new volunteers in Florida, along with a surge in donations.
Fried said that holds even in traditionally conservative areas, like Lee County. This weekend, a grassroots phone bank at the Democratic Party headquarters made hundreds of calls to voters.
Democrats will need a positive shift because when it comes to momentum at the polls, Republicans have had all of it in recent major elections.
Former President Donald Trump won Florida narrowly in 2016, then won the state by an even bigger margin in 2020. In 2022, Ron DeSantis dominated in the governor’s race, earning nearly 60 percent of the vote.
NBC2 questioned Fried if the momentum the Democrats are seeing now will make a difference in November.
"Florida is in play," she said. “Ron DeSantis didn't win by 19 points – Florida Democrats lost by 19 points. That was on us. We had over a million Democrats that did not show up in the 2022 election. Now, we have rebuilt this party, rebuilt the infrastructure."
The last time a Democratic candidate carried Florida in the presidential race was in 2012, when former President Barack Obama defeated challenger Mitt Romney by a narrow margin.
Fried believes the state can turn blue again in 2024.
"Sixty-seven counties, the reddest of red areas, have Democrats and Independents and Republicans who are frustrated with the MAGA extremism," she said. “We have to be competing everywhere – showing up – and most importantly, listening. Listening to the needs of the people in our state.”