Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) recently spoke at a Florida GOP event and sang the praises of Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Chairman Evan Power and former Chairman (now State Senator) Joe Gruters. Republicans have officially reached a voter registration advantage of one million.
Florida has historically been dominated by Democrats. In 1972, the Democrat Party boasted nearly 2.4 million registered voters to the Republicans’ 975,000. However, Republicans took their first advantage during Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) third year in office and exploded to a million-voter surplus as of Aug. 12.
Rep. Donalds called out the State of California for its liberal tendencies and stated that Florida has taken the mantle as the “state of opportunity” in the United States.
CA used to be what Florida is now.
Florida is the state of opportunity.
Florida is the state of freedom.
Florida is the state of prosperity.Thanks to @EvanPower, @JoeGruters, & countless others, @FloridaGOP has a 1M voter-reg. lead & we're not going to stop.
KEEP FLORIDA RED! pic.twitter.com/7w4ntpzjbY
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) August 12, 2024
“California used to be – it used to be what we have made Florida. It used to be the state of opportunity in this country. It used to be. The Democrats destroyed in that state. And it is the leadership of our chairman Evan Power. Evan, you’re doing a fantastic job. Thank you,” said Rep. Donalds.
He continued by thanking State Sen. Joe Gruters for his leadership as the former chairman that allowed for the growth of the party in the Sunshine State.
“It is the leadership – when he was state party chairman for the first time and the second time, my good friend Joe Gruters,” said Donalds. “And I will tell you we’re not going to stop anytime soon because Evan’s going to make sure we’re a red state this November, we’re a red state the next election, the election after that, and the election after that.”
The RPOF sent out a message on social media regarding the historic feat.
It’s official! There are 1 MILLION more Republicans than Democrats in the free state of Florida! Today, we cemented Florida's deep RED status thanks to our strong Republican leadership and grassroots leaders. pic.twitter.com/KCrpxKHpKd
— Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) August 11, 2024
“It’s official! There are 1 MILLION more Republicans than Democrats in the free state of Florida! Today, we cemented Florida's deep RED status thanks to our strong Republican leadership and grassroots leaders.” stated the RPOF on social media.
Furthermore, incoming Florida Speaker of the House Daniel Perez, credited the scores of Republican grassroots leaders that helped the state party reach the milestone over the past several decades, even as Republicans began to outpace Democrats in voter registration during both President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis’ first terms in office.
"Today’s milestone reflects decades of hard work by so many Republican Party and grassroots leaders. It’s a testament to how conservative leadership can help grow our party for generations to come. Thank you to everyone who has helped our party reach this historic achievement," said Rep. Perez.
"Our success goes beyond just numbers,” said Power. “It’s about a vision to make Florida the beacon of freedom for the rest of the country. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteers and the unwavering commitment of our Republican elected officials, we have built the most successful party in the nation, Together, we will continue to show the rest of the country that Florida leads the way."
Florida Democrats are largely ignoring the steep voter registration climb they face and are trying to stay positive with their volunteer training efforts.
