While the verdict is still out on many critical races across the country that will determine the makeup of the U.S Senate and House, there was a red tsunami in the state of Florida.
With every major race in the state declared by the night’s end, Republicans outperformed across the board in what was already expected to be a drubbing for Democrats.
The midterm elections in Florida had the potential to solidify the state’s status as a solidly red state, and the results seem to indicate that it is.
Here are the important races we followed last night and the results we know from the current vote tallies.
Governor:
Polls showed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis coming into election day with a double-digit lead of 11.5%. That result would have been impressive on its own as it would have built on the Governor’s lead by a considerable margin from 2018.
What happened on election night was a result that almost no one predicted.
With 90% of votes in, DeSantis leads by 19.4%. To give some perspective, DeSantis is on pace to outperform Governor Greg Abbott in solidly red Texas.
Speechless… working with @RonDeSantisFL @CaseyDeSantis has been the honor of a lifetime.
Our team has become like a family–and even for those of us who moved here in the last 2 years, Florida feels like home.
❤️Thank you to everyone who helped #KeepFloridaFree.🐊 pic.twitter.com/HoNUjW7BJX
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 9, 2022
Attorney General:
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody was also in for a big night in what was a resounding victory for tough-on-crime policies in the state of Florida.
Moody was expected to win by 14%, according to a Sienna College poll conducted a week before the election.
She is up by 21%, with 90% of the vote in against former Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala.
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CFO:
Incumbent Jimmy Patronis cruised to victory in a vindication for economic policies in Florida, including DeSantis’ proposed plan to bring down the cost of property insurance.
Patronis has backed DeSantis’ plan to create a $2 billion reinsurance fund to alleviate costs in the state.
Patronis was projected to win by about 10%.
Instead, he won by 20% with over 95% of the vote in.
Thank you. 🥲
— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) November 9, 2022
Agricultural Commissioner:
The Agricultural Commissioner’s office has become particularly important after it became more politicized under Democrat Nikki Fried.
Fried denied concealed carry permits at a rate that was more than double her predecessors.
A Republican win was also a significant moral victory for Republicans as they now hold every statewide elected office in Florida.
Republican Wilton Simpson raised $10 million for the race, an impressive haul.
Still, it was projected to be the closest statewide election in Florida; a University of North Florida Poll gave Simpson a 5-point lead over Democrat Naomi Blemur in October.
The night ended with an 18% victory for Simpson in what was the closest statewide race outside of the Senate, an indication of just how red Florida is becoming.
U.S Senate:
Incumbent Republican Marco Rubio showed that while money can swing a close race, it couldn’t even get challenger Val Demings close to victory.
Demings raised a stunning $72 million to Rubio’s $46 million.
Still, Rubio can rest easy knowing that he now sits in a safe seat after he won last night by a 16.7% margin with most of the votes tallied.
Thank you #Florida pic.twitter.com/3pZePlxaHA
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 9, 2022
FL-27:
Incumbent Maria Salazar, one of the more notable Representatives in Florida, outperformed polls by a wide margin.
A recent Cygnal poll showed that the race was in reach for Democrats, with Salazar leading by 6%.
Instead, she won by a 15% margin.
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FL-13:
Florida’s 13th Congressional District was supposed to be the closest race in the state.
Anna Paulina Luna, an America-First firebrand endorsed by President Trump in the primaries, was polling within the margin of error.
Polls conducted shortly before the election showed Luna with a 1 percent lead and in one case, Luna and her Democrat opponent Eric Lynn in a statistical tie.
The race was one of the closest in Florida, but that isn’t saying much, as Luna still won by 9%.
Luna’s victory was also a significant moral victory for Republicans as it was Charlie Crist’s former Congressional seat.
While Florida Republicans are surely elated that their state has become solid red, it remains to be seen if their good fortune will rub off on Republican candidates throughout the country.
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