Jacob Ogles
As video ads reach TV viewers and digital streamers, Americans for Prosperity-Florida (AFP-FL) still think knocking on doors may be what wins hearts.
Skylar Zander, State Director for AFP-FL, said his group is counting on thousands of volunteers to make the difference in a handful of critical legislative races in Florida for Republicans.
“All these other guys give money and focus on big-dollar TV ads,” Zander said. “We are on the grassroots. We try and get volunteers, and in some cases part-times, to doors to have real direct conversations with Florida voters.”
To the end, AFP-FL dispatched more than 1,500 door knockers around the state, individuals who often have worked for years with the center-right group and with whom Zander hopes to cultivate a relationship for many more. About 40 paid individuals are helping supplement efforts around Florida to maximize impact.
“We are volunteer-led. That’s the most exciting piece of capability we bring in these races,” he said.
Like many Republican consultants, Zander feels confident right now in statewide contests in Florida. The organization endorsed 43 candidates in the Primaries and General Election. But he points to a handful of competitive contests that could impact the makeup of the Legislature for the next two to four years.
The top priority, he said, will be a Senate District 3 race where Republican Sen. Corey Simon faces a well-backed challenge by Democrat Daryl Parks.
“He has been a champion for us, carrying a big universal education bill,” Zander said of Simon.
Zander referenced a massive school choice expansion the Tallahassee Republican shepherded through the Senate in 2023, making Florida one of six states making private school vouchers available to all students regardless of income. The program was a top priority for years for AFP-FL, and Zander said he has personally been knocking doors in Tallahassee to turn out votes for Simon.
In the House, Zander said his group has attention focused on Central Florida. He sees an opportunity for Republicans to take back a House District 35 seat that Democrat Tom Keen flipped in a January Special Election. Keen again faces former Osceola County School Board member Erika Booth as the Republican challenger.
“Tom Keen came in and appeared to be a moderate Democrat and has been everything but,” Zander alleged. “The hope is Erika Booth, who we are very invested in, is able to win.”
He also said AFP-FL wants to ensure re-election for GOP Reps. Rachel Plakon in House District 36 and Susan Plasencia in House District 37. Both Republicans represent districts where most voters supported Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election.
He also suggests a sleeper race in House District 22, an open seat represented now by retiring Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons. This year, Democrat David Arreola, a former Gainesville City Commissioner, faces Republican Chad Johnson, a former Levy County Commissioner.
“You have a Democratic Commissioner who has done a terrible job as a Commissioner but is very well liked by folks in downtown Gainesville, and Alachua traditional Democratic insiders like him,” Zander said. “Then you have someone who is not in Alachua, even though it is an Alachua-majority seat. We want to try and continue to make the right changes to move Florida forward, and there could not be a starker contest between candidates.”
Zander said he wants to marshal the needed electoral power between phone calls and on-the-ground volunteers to help Johnson keep the seat in Republican hands.
While AFP-FL has invested in digital ads and direct mail, Zander continues to believe its conversations at the door that make the most difference.
“Really our bread and butter and what I think does the most is us bringing that grassroots muscle,” he said. “Those conversations over time are more fruitful and the biggest opportunity to change hearts and minds.”
