Voter registration for Republicans continues to surge, which spells trouble for Democrats in the upcoming election. However, Democrats are now blaming voter suppression for the surge. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried (D) argues that voter suppression and a lack of organization have affected their registration goals.
This week, Chairwoman Fried commented on the registration gains that Republicans have amassed in the state. Since the 2020 election, Republicans have gained a significant amount of voters registering with the party, amounting to more than 850,000 according to recent data. As Democrats look to politically expand in the state, and given that the 2024 general election takes place in November, Chairwoman Fried is accusing the state of benefitting from voter suppression.
"Florida is an under-organized, voter suppressed state. When you have a Democratic Party who's able to overcome all of those issues, which is what we are working on last year and this year, it puts Florida in play," Chairwoman Fried said. Since 2022, the Democratic Party in Florida has lost over half-a-million voters.
This month, Republicans reached a lead of 850,000 voters, and the trend continues to rise.
In response to the gains, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said this month that the party's "grassroots are keeping the pedal to the metal by registering more voters every day. Floridians continue to reject the radical left's agenda and are helping us make Florida a more Republican state."
The Republican Party of Florida recently faced controversy after the former party chairman, Christian Ziegler, was ousted after being accused of rape and sexual assault. Republicans across the state called on him to resign, but he refused, maintaining his innocence.
The lawsuit involved his wife, Bridget Ziegler, cofounder of Moms for Liberty. However, this month, the state attorney's office announced that it would not be pursuing any criminal charges against Christian Ziegler due to insufficient evidence.
