Overall, Republicans have won in state legislative, general and presidential elections, among other contests. Democrats had expressed hope that Florida would be “in play” for the November election. Instead, the party is left with more questions than answers after yet another crushing defeat in the general election.

Harris defeated in the presidential election

In the presidential race, President-elect Donald Trump defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in his adopted state, 56.1% to 43%, winning by nearly 1.5 million votes. It was the largest margin of victory for a presidential election in Florida since then-Vice President George HW Bush won in 1988.

Trump made every county in the state more Republican in the presidential tally compared to 2020 and flipped six counties: Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Osceola, Pinellas and Seminole.

Tuesday’s election in Miami-Dade County was the first time a Republican presidential candidate won the election since 1988. It marks a significant change from 2016, when the county voted for the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton against Trump by 63.22% to 33.83%. In 2024, the county voted for Trump over Harris between 55 and 44 percent.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also easily won re-election to his seat, defeating Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by a similar margin. THE Associated Press called the presidential and senatorial elections in Florida about an hour after the polls closed.

Democrats disputed that the State would be “in play” at the presidential level, boasting abortion on the ballot as something that could motivate Democratic voters, but instead Harris and the abortion measure were defeated.

Ballot measures on abortion and marijuana shrink

Amendment 4, which would have prevented the state from passing laws that “prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the health of the patient, as determined by the health provider.” patient care”, failed spend Tuesday. It was the first vote on a ballot measure since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in which abortion rights activists lost and anti-abortion activists were victorious.

Amendment 3, supported by Florida Democrats and opposed by Florida Republicans, would have legalized recreational marijuana, but it would also have failed to reach the 60% threshold required to pass as a ballot measure.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) campaigned hard against both amendments and took a victory lap Tuesday night after both appeared doomed.

With polling stations now closed in Florida…

Amendment 3 failed.

Amendment 4 failed.

– Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 6, 2024

The governor, who has two years remaining in his final term, scored victories in various state races on the Florida GOP’s big night.

Republicans win major national elections

After the 2022 elections, Republicans won supermajorities in the state Senate and House of Representatives, and Democrats have made narrowing those margins a top priority in 2024.

Republicans are expected to hold 28 of the 40 seats in the State Senate and at least 82 of the 120 seats in the House of Representatives, according to THE New York Times. The result means Republicans will have overwhelming control of the Sunshine State’s legislature for the final two years of DeSantis’ gubernatorial term.

DeSantis also scored a victory against a prosecutor he suspended from office in 2022.

Florida governor suspends Democrat Andrew Warren as State’s Attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit after Warren announced he would not enforce certain state laws. DeSantis nominated Republican Suzy Lopez to finish Warren’s term. On Tuesday, Lopez defeated Warren 53% to 47%.

The other suspended DeSantis prosecutor, Monique Worrell, won back her position on Tuesday, but did so by defeating independent Andrew Bain by a significantly tighter margin than she was elected by in 2020.

Since 2020, Republicans have built momentum to put Florida out of Democratic reach. The GOP surpassed registered Democratic voters in the state in 2021 and has widened that lead in the years since.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement Wednesday that despite the results, their “fight is not over.”

“Even if the results of this election are not what we hoped for, the last thing Florida Democrats are going to do is give up,” Fried said.

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Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power celebrated the GOP’s victories up and down the ballot, declaring that “Florida Republicans should bow” on Tuesday.

“We knew we were in a strong position to win before today, but we are overwhelmed by the overwhelming support Florida voters have given our Republican candidates, starting with President Donald J. Trump, Sen. Rick Scott, our Florida congressional delegation and the rejection of dangerous and misleading Amendments 3 and 4,” Power said in a statement.