The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) has successfully fielded candidates in every congressional district in the state.
That achieves a goal that the party announced less than two weeks from the qualification deadline. Now, FDP Chair Nikki Fried said it's a clear sign that the blue team has momentum.
"Florida Democrats just filed to compete for every congressional seat," Fried said. "It does not matter if we're running in Pensacola or Key West, every part of this state is worth fighting for and we are not going to let Florida Republicans walk into office without being held accountable. Florida Democrats are fired up and ready to compete everywhere."
Of note, grassroots activists have sought out candidates even in long shot districts, and played a significant role in finding candidates in many of Florida's seats.
"Competing matters. Elections have consequences," posted Fergie Reid, founder of 90 For 90. That's a group started in Virginia that pushed for a full-field strategy there that ultimately led to Democrats retaking the Legislature.
Now, the group and other grassroots activists want to try the same approach in Florida. They have tried to do so in past elections like 2020. But that year, the group met resistance from the state party, which wanted to focus on battleground districts.
Movement leaders have admitted that Democrats will not win every district in Florida. Democrats haven't controlled a majority of U.S. House seats in the Sunshine State since 1988.
But Democrats believe that having candidates organizing and fighting for votes everywhere will help the party long-term, and hopefully mobilize voters to support President Joe Biden in this year's Presidential Election and unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who is running for re-election.
The final pieces of a full slate of congressional candidates came together late for Democrats. Hours before qualification, Gainesville Democrat Rock Aboujaoude filed against U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in Florida's 12th Congressional District, even though Aboudaoude had been filed in Florida's 2nd Congressional District.
Then, Democrat Meghann Hovey qualified just before a noon deadline Friday to challenge U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn in CD 2.
In both cases, Republican incumbents are heavily favored to win.
The party in the last days of qualification week also recruited a candidate against U.S. Rep. John Rutherford in Florida's 5th Congressional District. Democrat Jay McGovern qualified the final day of the deadline.
Those were three districts that Florida Democrats just a week ago said needed recruits. But other races had no Democrat at the beginning of the week. Democrat Tom Wells surfaced only this week as a challenger to U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack in Florida's 3rd Congressional District, and Democrat James Stockton showed up this week to challenge U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz in Florida's 6th Congressional District.
If nothing else, running a full slate sets Florida Democrats apart from the Republican Party of Florida. While two candidates filed, no Republicans ultimately qualified in Florida's 20th Congressional District, allowing U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to win another term unopposed.
But Democrats have more ground to make up. In 2022, Republicans won 20 of Florida's 28 congressional seats.
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