‘Florida is in play’ Democrats say as poll shows multiple close races

01.10.2024 13:02

Raw Story

Several Florida Democratic Party officials insist the Sunshine State is in play, and not just in the presidential race. As campaign cash is flooding the state, a Republican pollster finds both Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott with a tiny lead over their Democratic opponents, well with the margin of error.

"Trump leads Harris by 2.1%, and Scott leads Mucarsel-Powell by 0.8%," according to Victory Insights, which released the poll Monday. Trump is beating Harris 46.9% to 44.9%, with just over eight percent still undecided.

Two ballot initiatives, legalizing recreational marijuana use and ensuring abortion is legal, have a slim majority of support — in contrast to earlier polling by other firms that found both measures had more than enough support to pass the 60 percent threshold. Those issues are expected to drive more Democratic voters to the polls.

"Although both amendments currently fall short of the 60% support required to pass, both are within striking distance due to the voters who answered that they are undecided on each amendment, Victory Insights reports. "Amendment 4 [the abortion initiative] would need to win over at least 49% of undecided voters in order to reach the 60% mark, while Amendment 3 [marijuana] would only need to win over 35% to do the same. If undecided voters pick sides at the same proportions that decided voters have so far, both amendments would pass."

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has been waging war—while spending at least $15.5 million in taxpayer dollars—to defeat the abortion ballot issue, and may add more to defeat he marijuana initiative, according to Florida investigative reporter Jason Garcia.

Senator Scott "seems in serious danger of losing a second term, the poll shows," Florida Politics adds. "Less than 45% of voters plan to vote for the Republican candidate, while just under 44% plan to support Mucarsel-Powell, who won her party’s nomination in August."

Florida Politics also reports "national Democrats are investing in Florida after all."

"That’s the news from the Florida Democratic Party (FDP). Members highlighted a number of last-minute investments from outside the Sunshine State. That includes a $400,000 investment in Florida Democratic Party efforts, a multimillion-dollar campaign boosting U.S. Senate nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and the recent addition of congressional candidate Whitney Fox to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red To Blue program.

“We have been saying it all along, don’t count Florida out,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried, “and I’m excited to say that the message has been heard, and help is finally on its way.”

The Harris campaign's Florida Communications Director Karol Molinares on Monday wrote, "Florida Democrats now have more than 154,000 volunteers on the ground who've signed up to organize with @FlaDems and @KamalaHarris. We are fighting for Florida."

Florida Democratic Party Deputy Digital Director Camila Cisneros says, "Let me be clear: FLORIDA IS IN PLAY. We have 36 days to leave it all on the field."

Last month NBC News' Yamiche Alcindor said, "As more and more polls comes out, I'm going to keep in mind what @RepJamesClyburn told me yesterday during our @MSNBC interview, which is that he believes Ohio and Florida could be in play for Democrats &

@KamalaHarris, along with doing better in states like Georgia and North Carolina."

Some have suggested Trump's attacks earlier this month on Haitians might harm his chances at winning the Sunshine State.

"Florida is home to more than half a million people of Haitian heritage, with more residing here than any other state," Politico reported last week. "The island nation has been torn apart by violent gangs, leading the Biden administration in June to make about 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. eligible for temporary protected status. The move allows them to work and to be protected from deportation amid the ongoing strife in Haiti."

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) "accused the Trump campaign of 'playing a dangerous game of divide and conquer,' especially by falsely claiming the Haitians in Springfield were illegally residing there when they are not."

“We have very hardworking people who entered into the country wanting to give back to the country that actually allowed them to escape their political struggles,” she said outside the Capitol.

Last week NBC 6 South Florida reported: "Democrats insist Kamala Harris can win Florida in November."

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