A.G. Gancarski
On Wednesday, Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) President Austin Chambers and Senior Advisor Ward Baker gave their views of a pivotal 2020 election for state legislatures, including in the Sunshine State.
At issue: redistricting, the next big hurdle after the 2020 election in Florida and elsewhere.
There is a slim chance Democrats could compete in the Senate, which is R+3, but there’s no chance whatsoever the House comes close to flipping blue, with 72 Republicans and 46 Democrats.
Despite the favorable map, outside spending will drive action, Chambers noted, requiring a concerted RSLC push so that the party can control the House and the Senate both, as they do now.
Thus far, they’ve spent nearly a million dollars on the House and the Senate in Florida in the last year and a half, and “significantly more” will be spent to “match the money coming in from outside the state on the Democrats’ side,” Chambers said.
Targeted seats are in South Florida and Central Florida, he added, with candidates such as Fiona MacFarland benefiting from the leg up
“Florida is a state where we’re all in. We’re going to do whatever it takes to retain the House and the Senate,” Chambers said, describing Florida as a “tossup today but leaning in a Republican direction” at the presidential level.
It’s that battleground nature that will drive resource allocation.
“Another group that announced they were going to spend a couple million bucks in Florida trying to flip these seats. Florida is one of the places where we have more Republicans in Clinton districts than Democrats in Trump districts,” Chambers said. “Democrats absolutely have an opportunity in Florida, but I think ultimately we will hold the House and the Senate. But there’s a lot to play out in the next 55 days.”
Florida presents a contrast to states where control of the legislative chamber hangs in the balance.
Chambers noted that nationally the “environment is the toughest for the Republican Party in a couple of decades,” with a President struggling in polls, but that Democratic expectations of “flipping everything” will fall “well short.”
“Republicans are in a position to defy the expectations of a Blue Wave,” he noted.
The path: “to go on offense while playing defense,” with an eye toward Trump districts that are represented by Democrats, “making sure that those Trump supporters vote Republican up and down the ballot.”
To that end of generating turnout, the organization will be visible on various platforms, including a new web spot “exposing the Democratic Party’s radical ideas and dangerous agenda that would dismantle the American dream.”
6 comments
S.B. ANTHONY
September 9, 2020 at 11:59 am
But, of course, what else would grifters say?
More Republicon propaganda. Anyone “confident”
about anything in this election year is blatantly lying.
James Robert Miles
September 9, 2020 at 5:56 pm
If there is truly justice in this country. the GOP is going to lose big time!
Brad
September 10, 2020 at 12:45 am
I just cannot understand how anyone can support Republicans. The party has become a cult. And its leader is inept, corrupt, weak and absurdly incompetent.
The party didn’t even bother to draft a platform at last month’s convention. That was a historic first. It merely said it endorsed Trump’s plan for the country.
And now that thousands of Floridians have DIED of covid, Trump admits what we knew all along: He was intentionally downplaying a highly deadly public health crisis, leading to untold numbers of deaths as a result of completely irresponsible policies–policies that this state’s Republican officials in the legislature AND the governor’s mansion wholeheartedly endorsed. Heartbreaking.
So why should any sensible person cast their vote for the GOP?
FUCK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY! I’m voting BLUE. Its time for a return to sanity.
John McMahon
September 13, 2020 at 4:27 pm
BRAD! Sorry we triggered you little guy! Do you need a SAFE SPACE?? I AM GOING TO call the Democrat party SNOWFLAKE ambulance for you and later Hillary the War monger hag will face time you from the woods bro to just calm everything down. Pace yourself with all that HATE mister or you will wind up like Sonja locked in a nice padded room with Trump Derangement Syndrome!
Sonja Fitch
September 10, 2020 at 4:07 am
Yo Elderly Trump promise is to completely DESTROY social security and Medicare! Trump is a damn traitor and willingly kills Americans! Vote all of the RINO goptrump cult Out! Yes Desantis Rutherford Scott and stupid Marco are willingly supporting the killings of Americans! VoteBlue!
John McMahon
September 15, 2020 at 1:11 am
Willingly KILL Americans? Ohhh you mean like the murdered American Ambassador and four Navy Seals begging for help from Killery Clinton and Obama the pretend Democrat communist President that NEVER came? Sonja you are a special kind of person full of hate and violence against women and men who support President Trump. Buckle up for November then because your attitude is jet fuel for independent voters voting Republican after watching Biden Voters burning and killing every nite.
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