Florida Democrats aren't in disarray. They're in disagreement
Florida demonstrated on Tuesday that the Democratic Party’s identity crisis is alive and well. It’s the latest signal that while the midterm election will be a referendum on the president’s performance, it’s also a major test of the Democratic Party’s ability to bridge its growing divide.
David Jolly, the moderate former Republican congressman, will top Florida’s Democratic ticket in November in the race for governor. Angie Nixon, a state representative from the progressive left, will be the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate. Shortly after Nixon was declared the winner, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an election analysis newsletter, shifted its handicapping of Florida’s U.S. Senate race from “likely Republican” to “safe Republican.”
Although today Florida is seen as solid MAGA country, not that long ago, it was a swing state considered essential in a presidential race. (President Barack Obama won it twice.) But Democrats face an uphill battle in making it competitive again.
Tuesday’s primary results tell a tale of two extremes. Jolly, who left the Republican Party after President Donald Trump’s first election, will face off against Trump-endorsed Republican Congressman Byron Donalds in the governor’s race.
Nixon, a Jacksonville union organizer who became a member of the Democratic Socialists of America in June, will challenge incumbent Senator Ashley Moody. Moody is the Trump loyalist and former state attorney general whom DeSantis appointed last year to replace Marco Rubio, now secretary of state.
Jolly coasted to an easy victory over his lesser-known rivals. But the........
