The Biden campaign already admits total defeat in Florida, even with four months until election day. The admission came from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, who, when asked during a recent interview if she considered Florida a battleground state, flatly answered, “No.”
The exchange occurred during an episode of ‘Impolitic with John Heilemann’ published on Monday. Heilemann had started by asking Dillon about the Biden campaign’s chances in North Carolina before turning his focus to Florida. After Dillon’s stunning concession, Heilemann joked that he had been worried Dillon was “going to lie.”
Heilemann: “North Carolina is a battleground state?”
Dillon: “Yes.”
Heilemann: “Florida?”
Dillon: “No.”
Heilemann: “Thank you— I was afraid you were going to lie.”
Dillon: “Jesus.”
Dillon described the Biden campaign’s strategy as “six in six,” focusing on Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin battlegrounds. Florida, with its 30 electoral votes, did not make the cut.
Subscribe to the Florida Jolt Newsletter!
Democrats see North Carolina as in play for Biden, but not Florida.
It seems Democrats have begun to write off Florida, which used to be a major battleground state https://t.co/b1CFL6j2f6
— News Breaking LIVE (@NBLNewsLIVE) June 26, 2024
Dillon’s remarks contradict what top Democrat officials, including Biden, have been saying for months. During an April rally in Tampa, the President reassured supporters that “Florida’s in play, nationally.”
The campaign chair’s comments also undermine efforts by the Florida Democratic Party, led by chair Nikki Fried. After the interview was published this week, Fried scrambled to do damage control, issuing a statement urging voters not to “count Florida out.”
“Florida Democrats are doing the real work required to take back Florida… This November, we’re going to restore reproductive rights, legalize cannabis, defeat Rick Scott, and break the Republican supermajority — and we know that Donald Trump can’t win the presidency without winning Florida. We’re not naive about the challenges ahead, but we’re building the foundation of Democratic success, not just for this cycle, but for the years and decades to come. Don’t count Florida out.”
According to a report by WFLX, the Biden-Harris campaign is also in “damage control mode” this week, attempting to highlight Florida’s relevance and reaffirm its commitment to winning the state. But while the campaign pledges to have 13 campaign offices open by the end of the week, other states, including Wisconsin, currently have more than 45.
Join your fellow patriots and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
Hey @NikkiFried have you considered just letting it go 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/OQo5LIBvgG
— Evan Power (@EvanPower) June 25, 2024
However, despite the public relations efforts of the Florida Democrats and the Biden-Harris campaign, polling data seems to confirm Dillon’s prediction. Voter registration figures currently favor Republicans by more than 900,000.
“Our grassroots are engaged. The movement to Republicans in Florida is organic — not contrived by media and whatever schtick of the day Nikki Fried has going on,” Florida GOP chair Evan Power said in a statement. “I welcome them to spend all the money. I don’t think we have to spend at the level they do.”
Governor Ron DeSantis also weighed in following the interview, confirming that “Florida is not in play.”
“For decades, Florida was the largest, most-important battleground state in presidential elections,” DeSantis wrote on X. “Today, even the Biden campaign acknowledges that those days are over. Florida is not in play in 2024.”
Other stories you may want to read:
Jodi Schwartz: From ‘Never Walking Again’ to Trying to Flip PBC Red
- Chuck Millar Stands Out as Palm Beach Gardens’ Most Seasoned Leader - February 24, 2025
- Navy Vet Thomas Turkin Fights for a Better Boynton - February 10, 2025
- Rebecca Shelton’s Vision to Revitalize Boynton Beach - January 29, 2025