The Florida Democratic Party has lost touch with Floridians, especially young adults like me. That’s true now more than ever as Republicans look to win big election victories across the state and hit historic voter registration numbers. But why is that?
It starts with the basics. As a high school student and future voter, I was promised that the Democratic Party was the people’s movement. The party of the working class. The party that put the interests of ordinary Americans above those of the rich and powerful. The party that fought for freedom, hence the term “liberal.” That’s why I pre-registered as a Democrat in Florida as early as possible. However, it seems that the left movement in America, and here in Florida, is more focused on pushing new social justice issues and supporting cultural elitism than standing up for Floridians.
One example that comes to mind is my interview with Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, where I asked them how the party stands on when human life begins. Fried said that is “completely at the discretion of the medical profession” and is “decided on a case-by-case basis.” Driskell responded similarly. I also asked Fried if transgender women can get pregnant. She said she couldn’t answer that because she’s not a doctor. How can we as Americans and Floridians bridge our political divide when a major party can’t even tell us if a grown man can bear a child?
The reality is that Americans, especially young people like me, look to the country and live the policies implemented in states governed by Democrats. Communities with skyrocketing costs of living, strict regulations, and rampant crime are no place to raise a family or build a career. And it’s definitely not helpful for the working class. That’s why I left the Democratic Party, like so many other people my age. Florida has many problems of its own that need to be addressed, of course, but it’s very clear that Americans overwhelmingly choose to build their livelihoods in the Sunshine State.
The numbers don’t lie. In recent years, Florida has welcomed millions of new residents, mostly fleeing Democratic states. The places from which Florida has seen the highest net migration over the past five years include New York, Illinois, New Jersey and California.
With this growth, we have seen a massive shift in Florida politics. When Governor Ron DeSantis was first elected in 2018, he won by just 33,000 votes, and the FDP had over 250,000 more registered voters in the state than Republicans. In 2022, DeSantis won by over 1.5 million more votes than his Democratic opponent. Moreover, the Florida GOP not only closed the voter registration gap, but turned the tables completely—the state now has nearly 1 million more registered Republicans than Democrats.
Florida is no longer a swing state. Even Jen O’Malley Dillon, former head of President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, admitted this in an interview. With a two-thirds Republican majority in the legislature and strong conservative leadership, Democrats have no choice but to introduce vague election amendments that mislead voters. These efforts will be stopped in November, as other Democratic attempts have been in the past.
A resident of Tallahassee since birth, Owen Girard is a liberal-turned-conservative student activist who focuses much of his energy and resources on promoting and fighting for social and economic opportunities conducive to the development of families in the community.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: The Democratic Party has failed young Floridians like me
