{"id":2326103,"date":"2024-08-18T04:02:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-18T08:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-gives-florida-dems-hope-as-gop-writes-off-sugar-high-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-18T04:05:56","modified_gmt":"2024-08-18T08:05:56","slug":"harris-gives-florida-dems-hope-as-gop-writes-off-sugar-high-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-gives-florida-dems-hope-as-gop-writes-off-sugar-high-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris gives Florida Dems hope as GOP writes off \u2018sugar high\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharris-gives-florida-dems-hope-as-gop-writes-off-sugar-high-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2326103&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the renewed optimism among Florida\u200d Democrats as Vice \u200bPresident Kamala Harris appears to invigorate their chances in upcoming elections. Despite the Democratic Party&#8217;s prolonged \u2063struggle in Florida, having last secured a statewide victory in 2012, \u2064there is\u200c an emerging hope linked to\u200c Harris&#8217;s candidacy. Notably, the campaign of former Rep. \u2063Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is running\u200d against incumbent Senator Rick Scott, has \u2063reported increased support, including \u2064a \u2062rise in donations and volunteer activity since Harris became a focal point.<\/p>\n<p>While \u2064state Democrats \u200dare eager to attract national party resources, they face skepticism from party leaders who believe that investing in Florida may not be viable given the Republican\u200d dominance over recent years,\u2063 exemplified by significant victories in past elections.\u2063 GOP strategists describe the Democrats&#8217;\u2063 optimism as a temporary &#8220;sugar \u200dhigh,&#8221;\u200c cautioning \u200cthat without \u200bsubstantial \u200dfinancial\u2063 backing \u2064from the national party, Florida\u2019s political landscape may not shift.<\/p>\n<p>Polls indicate a narrowing gap between Democratic\u2063 candidates and their\u200c Republican opponents, suggesting a competitive race \u200cahead. Despite this,\u2064 Republicans maintain\u2064 a financial edge and a stronger \u200ccampaign apparatus. The article highlights that for Democrats like Mucarsel-Powell, a victory in Florida could \u200dbe pivotal, potentially signaling a broader resurgence for the Democratic\u200d Party in swing states.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Harris gives Florida Democrats hope as GOP writes off &lsquo;sugar high&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1730835\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Democrats in Florida are eyeing Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Kamala Harris<\/a> to help end their drought in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3123869\/florida-delegates-headed-dnc-pitch-democrats-florida-in-play\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Sunshine State<\/a>, where the last time the party captured a statewide race for the White House or Senate was 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Down-ballot races like the Senate fight between Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rick-scott\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Rick Scott\">Rick Scott<\/a> (R-FL) and former Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2434021\/ex-rep-debbie-mucarsel-powell-challenges-rick-scott-in-florida-senate-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Rick Scott\">Debbie Mucarsel-Powell<\/a> (D-FL), which Tuesday&rsquo;s primaries will solidify, are top of mind for state Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>The Mucarsel-Powell campaign told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> it&rsquo;s seen a notable uptick in support from voters since Harris&rsquo;s rise to the top of the ticket.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the last couple of weeks, we have seen an increase in donations to our campaign, volunteer signups, and text-bank shift signups,&rdquo; a spokesperson said. <\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-dem-recruit-for-missouri-senate-bows-out\/\" title=\"Top Dem Recruit for Missouri Senate Bows Out\">national party leaders<\/a>, despite renewed public optimism, evidently feel their money is better spent elsewhere. Neither the Harris campaign nor national <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democrats<\/a> are ponying up the cash in a state that Republicans have tightened their grip on in the past decade.<\/p>\n<p>Armed with fresh enthusiasm, new polling, and a surge of 22,000 Harris campaign volunteers in the state, Florida Democratic delegates are ready to pitch national party leaders and donors at next week&rsquo;s convention to put their money where their mouth is.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to be telling them that we think the state is in play, and we need some money spent and some attention paid,&rdquo; said Joseph Geller, a former Miami-Dade Democratic Party chairman and Florida DNC delegate.<\/p>\n<p>President Joe Biden faced a nearly double-digit deficit in the polls to former President Donald Trump. Harris has narrowed that gap to under five points. The most recent poll, from Florida Atlantic University, showed Harris within three at 47% to his 50%, raising questions whether Florida could reclaim its former status as a swing-state. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Republicans say not so fast.<\/p>\n<p>A national <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/GOP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>GOP<\/a> strategist involved in down-ballot races, who declined to be named, described Democrats as enjoying a honeymoon phase akin to a &ldquo;nice little sugar high.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mike Berg, communications director for the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, noted neither Senate Democrats nor the Senate Majority PAC linked to Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Chuck-Schumer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY) are putting money behind Florida TV ads to unseat Scott. Scott, who Senate Republicans are also not putting money behind, is one of three vying to be Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell&rsquo;s (R-KY) successor next year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harris 2024 campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, left, introduces former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, right, during a Biden-Harris 2024 campaign news conference, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re by no means going to run away with the race,&rdquo; said a Scott campaign spokesperson. &ldquo;If Democrats nationally decided to put <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>money<\/a> into it, I think that would kind of change things. Until Kamala Harris is spending resources in Florida or national Democrats are spending, I think they&rsquo;re kind of strongly signaling where they think the race really is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Mucarsel-Powell campaign noted the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee made a seven<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/warnock-calls-for-ending-fossil-fuels-in-unearthed-video\/\" title=\"Warnock Calls for Ending Fossil Fuels in Unearthed Video\">-figure digital ad buy<\/a> for the race in April and said it&rsquo;d welcome any additional funding from the campaign arm or other Democratic allies.<\/p>\n<p>Florida Democrats in recent Senate and gubernatorial races have held high hopes that failed to bear fruit.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) sailed through reelection against then-Rep. Val Demings (R-FL) by a 16-point margin, and Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Ron-DeSantis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Ron DeSantis<\/a> (R-FL) won reelection against then-Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) by a whopping nearly 20 points.<\/p>\n<p>But other contests have been far narrower. In 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott unseated former Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) by just 0.2%, and DeSantis won the Governor&rsquo;s Mansion against Democrat Andrew Gillum by only 0.4%.<\/p>\n<p>Mucarsel-Powell, in the Florida Atlantic University poll, was down to Scott by four points with 43% to his 47%.<\/p>\n<p>Scott maintains an overall cash advantage and has the ability to self-fund, pouring more than $60 million of his own money in 2018 to oust Nelson. This cycle, he&rsquo;s raised $30 million as of the end of July and had $3.8 million in the bank.<\/p>\n<p>Mucarsel-Powell raised $14.3 million and had $4.3 million cash on hand. But last month, with Biden&rsquo;s exit from the race, she raked in $2.2 million in July alone compared to Scott&rsquo;s less than $700,000. <\/p>\n<p>An upset victory in Florida for Mucarsel-Powell &mdash; and Harris, for that matter &mdash; would likely mean <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democrats<\/a> sweep the half-dozen or so official battleground states and expand their one-seat Senate majority.<\/p>\n<p>Also buoying expectations among Democrats, including the Mucarsel-Powell campaign, for stronger voter turnout is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brad-polumbo-bidens-illegal-student-loan-bailout-bought-off-gen-z-and-staved-off-a-red-wave\/\" title=\"Brad Polumbo: Biden\u2019s Illegal Student-Loan Bailout Bought off Gen Z \u2014 And Staved off a Red Wave\">abortion ballot measure<\/a> to roll back Florida&rsquo;s 6-week ban.<\/p>\n<p>On sheer voting numbers alone, Democrats are at a disadvantage that has intensified over the last several cycles. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Florida Republicans now have a record-setting 1 million more <a href=\"https:\/\/dos.fl.gov\/elections\/data-statistics\/voter-registration-statistics\/voter-registration-reports\/voter-registration-by-party-affiliation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"registered voters\">registered voters<\/a> than Democrats, with the GOP clocking in at 5.3 million to Democrats&rsquo; 4.3 million. But the amount of those with no party affiliation aren&rsquo;t far behind at 3.5 million. State Democrats said the GOP figure was the result of a &ldquo;systemic and coordinated effort of Republican voter suppression tactics.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Republicans have used every dirty trick in the book to suppress votes in Florida,&rdquo; Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a recent statement.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1730835\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1730835\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harris Inspires Optimism Among Florida Democrats as GOP Dismisses Their Momentum<\/p>\n<p>Florida Democrats are looking to Vice President Kamala Harris to help break their losing streak in statewide elections, with the last victory for the party in a presidential or Senate race dating back to 2012. Key races, such as the Senate contest between Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), are at the forefront of state Democrats&#8217; concerns as they prepare for upcoming primaries. The Mucarsel-Powell campaign reported a significant increase in voter support since Harris became a prominent figure on the ticket, noting boosts in donations and volunteer engagement.<\/p>\n<p>However, national Democratic leaders seem hesitant to invest heavily in Florida despite this renewed enthusiasm. Neither Harris&#8217;s campaign nor national party organizations have committed substantial funds to a state where Republicans have strengthened their hold over recent years. With new energy from polling data and an influx of 22,000 volunteers from Harris&#8217;s campaign, Florida Democratic delegates plan to advocate for more financial support at next week&#8217;s convention.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph Geller, a former Miami-Dade Democratic Party chairman and delegate for Florida DNC, stated that they will emphasize that Florida is competitive and needs investment and attention from national leaders. Recent polls show President Biden trailing Donald Trump by nearly ten points; however, Harris has managed to close that gap significantly.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans caution against overconfidence among Democrats. A GOP strategist described their current situation as akin to enjoying a &#8220;sugar high.&#8221; Mike Berg from the Senate Republican campaign arm pointed out that neither Senate Democrats nor affiliated PACs are investing in ads aimed at unseating Scott.<\/p>\n<p>The Mucarsel-Powell campaign highlighted previous funding efforts by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee but expressed openness to additional financial backing from other allies within the party.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, Florida Democrats have faced challenges despite moments of hope; recent elections saw significant defeats against Republican candidates like Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis by wide margins. However, some races were closely contested\u2014such as Rick Scott\u2019s narrow win over Bill Nelson\u2014and there is optimism surrounding potential voter turnout driven by issues like abortion rights.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these hopes, registered Republicans now outnumber registered Democrats by one million voters\u2014a trend attributed by state Democrats to systematic voter suppression tactics employed by Republicans according to Nikki Fried of the Florida Democratic Party<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2326104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/florida-democrats-harris.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36534,38414,6203,4021,33017],"class_list":["post-2326103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2023-elections","tag-florida-democrats","tag-gop","tag-harris","tag-political-analysis"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/florida-democrats-harris.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2326103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2326103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2326103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2326104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2326103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2326103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2326103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}