As the elections approach, Democratic figures such as Florida gubernatorial candidate David Jolly have spoken of a coming “blue wave.” However, many Florida residents are skeptical that the Sunshine State will turn blue anytime soon.
Republicans have won the past seven Florida gubernatorial elections, with the last Democratic governor being Lawton Chiles, who won reelection in 1994. As reported by The New York Times, however, Democratic leaders remain hopeful about the future, citing signs such as President Donald Trump’s declining approval ratings and Democratic victories in important local races, including the Miami mayoral election.
Democratic candidates such as James Talarico have also performed well in polling, leading some observers to believe that 2026 could mark an important shift for the party in Florida.
Florida Democratic Voters Are Not Hopeful for the Election
While Democratic leaders appear optimistic about their prospects, many local voters disagree. As one Floridian wrote on Reddit’s r/Florida, “Florida is turning more Red by the day. It was a conscious effort by the DeSantis admin to court conservatives from liberal states to flood the voter rolls with republicans.”
Others expressed similar doubts. One user wrote, “Florida had been purple (leaning red) for a long while, but then COVID came along, and DeSantis took the opportunity to make Florida a full-blown red state. It’s the biggest consequence of COVID that many people don’t talk about.” Someone else added: “Texas will turn blue before Florida does.”
Many voters appeared to blame the state Democratic Party for its struggles. One commenter wrote: “The FL Dems are working overtime to make sure nothing like this ever happens. Even if the right wasn’t trying FL Dems would still lose because there’s no more useless group of people on earth.”
Some residents, however, expressed hope for the future: “As a 4th-generation Floridian, we used to be a blue state. And I do believe we are headed back in that direction. It might take a little longer, but it’s going to happen. Florida being blue when I was growing up was a much better experience than it is right now.”
It remains to be seen whether Democrats will be able to secure victories in the upcoming elections or at least narrow the gap with Republicans. For now, however, many Floridians remain unconvinced. As one user put it, “Probably have better luck winning the lottery.”
