After the dust settled in many competitive and not-so-competitive municipal, state level, and federal races in Florida, it was clear that the Democratic Party effort to co-opt the long-standing Republican absentee ballot effort worked.
Republicans have historically defeated Democrats in absentee ballot mailings but this election cycle it was much different. Democrats crushed Republicans with mail-in votes, but Republicans won in early voting and on Election Day across the state.
This was the case in the congressional race between Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) and Republican Carla Spalding.
Spalding exceeded expectations and defeated Rep. Wasserman Schultz in both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Early Voting and Election Day votes.
Yes, Wasserman Schultz would have lost her congressional race if not for an impressive Democratic mail-in ballot effort.
Wasserman Schultz’s won the race with mail-in ballots by a whopping 137K to 57K votes, but what does it say about Wasserman Schultz’s possible vulnerabilities for future elections?
Wasserman Schultz only beat Spalding in Miami-Dade County by less than 1% of the overall vote or 312 total votes.
Broward County was a different story as the well-funded Wasserman Schultz was able to win the overall vote by 18%.
Expect Wasserman Schultz, who relishes the get out the vote effort every election cycle and enjoys to engage voters at the polls, to make a concerted effort to move the needle in her favor.
As for Spalding, if she decides to run again, could a slight change in strategy garner her enough votes to defeat Wasserman Schultz?
Here is the breakdown of each county.
