It’s hardly outlandish for vast segments of the American population to refuse to get on board with the president’s policy platform. He has gone after minorities at every opportunity, peddled sexism, and sought to undercut the nation’s regulatory system at the expense of the environment. That’s not exactly a platform poised to be very popular among those who don’t live in the GOP’s ivory towers.
In that light, Democrats are gearing up for a “blue wave” this fall in the midterm elections. The Democrats have to take about two dozen seats in the U.S. House and two seats in the U.S. Senate in order to become the majority party in the respective chambers, and Democratic candidates’ chances are looking pretty good.
In addition to the national races, there are, of course, numerous lower level races set to play out this fall too, and down in Florida this week, we’ve now gotten another glimpse into how those lower level races might play out.
On Tuesday, Democrat Javier Fernandez won the race to represent Florida House district 114 in the state legislature, beating out Republican Andrew Vargas by approximately four percent. The race culminated in the last legislative special election in Florida before the midterms later this year; the race was sparked by the resignation of Democrat Daisy Baez in the face of what the Miami Herald terms a “residency scandal.”
Before Baez, the district Fernandez won this week was represented by Republican Erik Fresen, who was busted in a massive tax evasion scheme that covered the years he was in the Florida House.
Fernandez’s victory comes after a string of special election victories for Democrats in the state of Florida, which Donald Trump won by a thin margin in the 2016 presidential election. In September of last year, Democrat Annette Taddeo won a state Senate race in the south Dade area, and more recently, Democrat Margaret Good won a state House race in the Sarasota area.
Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Terrie Rizzo summed up the developments by commenting:
‘Tonight’s special election victory is the latest in a string of special election victories for Florida Democrats, which shows us that after nearly 20 years of failed Republican leadership, people are ready for a change.’
Seats in Florida’s government ranging from the legislature to the governor’s office itself will be available later this year in the midterm elections, so we’ll have to wait and see how the current Democratic surge plays out in the broader course of the state.
In the meantime, Democrats have not only enjoyed a string of special election victories in Florida. Across the country, Democrats have picked up dozens of seats formerly held by Republicans. Among the most prominent victories are no doubt those of Doug Jones and Conor Lamb in Alabama and Pennsylvania, respectively.
If Democrats are able to become the majority party in even one house of Congress, it will set up a major roadblock to the implementation of the president’s agenda. He will have far less of a clear shot to seeing some of his most incendiary promises become reality.
Featured Image via Phil Roeder/ Getty Images
