Florida Democrats have a new person on the job of reducing their deficit in voters.
The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) announced it has hired Kristellys Estranga as Voter Registration Director.
She starts Monday in a role last held by Jorge Mursuli, who worked under former FDP Chair Manny Diaz.
A Venezuelan American and Tallahassee-based consultant, Estranga is the principal of Insight Political. Her clients have included U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, St. Petersburg state Rep. Michele Rayner, former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former State Attorney Aramis Ayala, Orlando state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and a passel of local candidates and officeholders.
She holds a master's degree in urban studies and community development from Eastern University in Philadelphia and a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in religious studies from Florida International University.
"I've worked to mobilize Floridian voters for many years, and I recognize that voter registration is just the first step toward increased voter engagement," Estranga said in a statement.
"I am excited to join a growing team that is dedicated to inspiring people to action through the political process. We have seen firsthand the harm caused by the MAGA extremism that has come to define the Republican Party — but I still believe we get past this dark chapter of our history and change Florida for the better."
Estranga's hiring comes at a pivotal time for Florida Democrats, who are at nearly 542,000 voters behind the Florida GOP in registered members statewide, according to the Florida Division of Elections. In June alone, Republicans here gained 45,648 new registrants. Democrats shed 93,744 voters.
"Month after month, Florida becomes a darker shade of red," Republican Party of Florida Chair Christian Ziegler said. "This is great news, but we must keep our foot on the gas until the Florida (Democratic) Party waves the white flag of surrender, which looks more and more inevitable with every new voter registration monthly update."
The blue team isn't giving up just yet, however, as evidenced by a $1 million allocation and 18-county bus tour the Democratic Party announced late last month to shore up its numbers. By the end of 2024, the party's goal is to cut the GOP advantage in Florida by 35%.
Estranga is key to that effort, according to FDP Chair Nikki Fried.
"She joins us at the height of the Take Back Florida Tour — our statewide tour focused on recruiting volunteers to register voters ahead of 2024 — and we're confident she'll hit the ground running," Fried said in a statement. "After 2022, Republicans expected us to wave the white flag, but we're doing just the opposite — expanding our field operations with a dedicated focus on voter registration."
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