Winners and losers emerging from Florida’s 2024 General Election

While the reasons stand in stark contrast, most Americans believed this was perhaps the most consequential of their lifetime.

A poll from the University of South Florida and other partners just before the General Election found Americans highly engaged in this year’s presidential race and high animosity toward those with opposing views, including believing that members of the opposing party would harm the country.

With that level of engagement and contention, there were bound to be plenty on either the winning or losing side of this year’s election, from local races up the ballot and among those front and center and those behind the scenes.

Florida Politics reflected on the trail, the election, and its aftermath to comprehensively examine who emerged victorious, who tanked, and who landed somewhere in the middle.

So, as some celebrate victories and others lick their wounds, take this year’s winners and losers as a lesson for the next time. Because there is always a next time.

As with other lists, this isn’t necessarily set in stone. Email any sins of commission (or omission) to [email protected] for consideration.

Biggest Winners

Susie Wiles — The Northeast Florida-based political operative has proven to be one of the most resilient people in The Process, but 2024 was her tour de force. Called the “Ice Maiden” by Donald Trump, Wiles maintained a sense of calm during the President-elect’s third and final campaign, not allowing the chaos that permeated previous operations to cause a deviation from the plan. The candidate atop the Democratic ticket changed; Wiles ensured Trump’s operation weathered the storm and stayed as on message as even Republicans skeptical of the former President could have hoped. Her ascension to the Chief of Staff position in the new administration allows her to continue that work at an administrative level. While she’s gotten pushback from some quarters for being too much of a pragmatist, MAGA conservatives will learn that she will be integral to the policy wins that eluded Trump during his first term. And Wiles is the rising tide that lifts Florida boats, ensuring that the Sunshine State will have a thousand points of light in the second term with savvy appointments that protect its interests.

Team Trump Florida — Think of how dim the wilderness must have been for supporters of Trump during the darkest hours of late 2022 and early ‘23. The former President was blamed for Republicans’ underwhelming performance in the Midterms. The FBI had recently raided Mar-a-Lago. Trump would soon be indicted. And indicted again. Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis’ star was rising as he appeared to be Trump “without the baggage.” Yet Wiles was, as always, able to assemble a devoutly loyal team of operatives determined to take down DeSantis in the Primary and return Trump to the White House in the General Election. Like Wiles, many of these players were exiles from DeSantis World, such as Political Director James Blair, who answered every doubt about whether Republicans would turn out for Trump. Veteran political knife-fighter Brian Hughes signed on with Team Trump when DeSantis was trying to muscle every Florida GOP’er to back him. Taylor Budowich worked on the outside, then came inside to help finish the job. Uber fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke helped fuel the campaign with the financial resources needed. Communications strategist Danielle Alvarez was omnipresent throughout the campaign. Meanwhile, everyone who worked with her said the shining star of the Florida operation was State Director Maryann Pistilli. Other key players were Deputy Political Director Alex Garcia and Ryan Smith, who was on the Trump super PAC, MAGA, Inc. Look for many, if not all, of these Trump loyalists to be key staffers in the Trump administration.

James Uthmeier — 2024 did not start well for the Destin native as he saw his boss, DeSantis, flame out in the cold caucuses of Iowa. But utilizing the full power of state government and tapping into DeSantis’ reservoir of political capital with Florida Republicans, Uthmeier led the campaigns against Amendments 3 and 4, defeating both with laser-focused, poll-tested messaging. While DeSantis is still cross-wired with much of the incoming Trump administration, Uthmeier rose to power after all of the unpleasantness of DeSantis vs. Wiles, so he’s not burdened with much of that baggage. One of the biggest questions of late ‘24 and early ‘25 is: What does Uthmeier want to do next? Because he has a world of options.

Joe Gruters — His seat at Trump’s Election Night celebration in Mar-a-Lago says plenty. The Florida political leader hopped on the Trump Train early. But more importantly, his work on Trump’s Florida campaign in 2016 meant working hand in hand with Chief of Staff-to-be Wiles, now one of the most influential women in Washington. Gruters already filed to run for Chief Financial Officer in Florida in 2026, and Trump’s backing in the race became more important. Gruters enjoys a good relationship with incoming Florida Senate President Ben Albritton for the next two years, who already picked the Sarasota Republican to head the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee. But this all assumes that Gruters, Florida’s Republican National Committeeman, doesn’t have more significant things in store beyond the Sunshine State.

Brian Ballard — The first time Trump won the White House in 2016, many haters doubted that Ballard and Co. could leap from lobbying in Florida to the federal level. Ballard, Syl Lukis, Dan McFaul, etc., proved them wrong by building a mega-practice in Washington capable of competing with, if not beating, any national firm. Then, the critics predicted that Ballard would not last once Trump exited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And again, the critics were wrong. In fact, not only did Ballard continue to thrive in Washington, he expanded his global reach, building partnerships from Japan to the Middle East. Ballard deftly navigated the divide between DeSantis and Trump, hiring key staffers from the Governor’s administration while bolstering his fundraising and political efforts for Trump. With Trump’s win, no other governmental affairs firm in Washington is better positioned to assist its clients in navigating the next four years than Ballard Partners. And if you read what Ballard says in interviews, this next chapter of his firm’s timeline isn’t about the finances; it’s about building something that transcends lobbying and fundraising. That’s why every time he’s spotted, it’s in a foreign capital, where he meets with those countries’ government and business leaders. Outside of Wiles, no other Floridian will be more interesting to track than Ballard.

Winners

Team Scott — Rick Scott took more than 55% of the vote last week, marking his biggest win in 14 years in politics. While some saw the matchup as competitive, Scott’s team outclassed his opponent’s in every way. Campaign Manager Jackie Zeckman assembled a team that particularly excelled in Hispanic voter outreach. Ana Carbonell oversaw the campaign’s Spanish language advertising and political operation which helped Scott have a major victory in Miami-Dade County for the first time, and an impressive win in Osceola County. Also integral to the win were Deputy Campaign Manager Sarah Schwirian, Political Director Ryan Hnatiuk, External Affairs Director Brian Wright, Hispanic Communications Director Rosa Perez, Hispanic Political Director Gary Barrios and Scheduling Director Amanda Mandrup-Poulsen. “All the credit goes to Sen. Rick Scott, the hardest working candidate in America. We are so grateful to work for a Senator and candidate who travels to every corner of the state to meet with voters and help solve their problems. Our team is honored to have the opportunity to work for him and help him achieve his resounding double digit win,” said Zeckman, who has now run two winning campaigns for Scott.

Team RPOF — It’s impossible to overstate the totality of Republicans’ victory last week. Anything that could go their way did and nothing that could’ve gone the other way bothered to. In hindsight, the GOP’s victory was apparent from the first day of early voting — Republicans built up a sizable lead on Day One and, come Election Day, the gap was insurmountable. As the men at the top, RPOF Chair Evan Power and Executive Director Bill Helmich get the lion’s share of credit, but many others deserve a share, too. One of the biggest surprises of the cycle came when Miami-Dade, Osceola, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Seminole and Duval all flipped to the red team. Credit that to Alexander Pantinakis, the Political Director at RPOF overseeing operations, and RPOF Field Directors Jake Holmgreen in North Florida, Sarah Reynolds in Central Florida, and Daniel Ellinger in South Florida.

Team Yes on 2 — Credit to national Yes On 2 Chair and International Order of T. Roosevelt Executive Director Luke Hilgemann, as well as Yes on 2 Campaign Chair Joshua Kellam, a former Commissioner at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and President/CEO of The Garcia Companies. The pair built a coalition of anglers, hunters and conservationists in Florida and across the country, including FWC Chair Rodney Baretto, Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris. Robert Spottswood Jr. and Travis Thompson and the team at All Florida went all in on the passage of Amendment 2, leading boots on-the-ground and online influencers to rally support across the state, including IWLA’s Mike Elfenbein, activist and Miccosukee Tribe member Betty Osceola, BTT’s Kellie Ralston, Delta’s Stacy Whittum, ASA’s Martha Guyas, BlackTipH Founder Josh Jorgensen, Kelly Young and Capt. Dylan Hubbard. Communications Adviser Erin Isaac and Finance Director Kelly Lindo joined General Consultant Marc Reichelderfer and Campaign Manager Chris Coker.

Team No on 3 — Make it 20 successful ballot amendment campaigns for Consensus Communications, which led the push against the ballot measure to legalize marijuana for adults aged 21 and older. Vote No on 3 launched just over 100 days out from Election Day but managed to counter the torrents of cash put into the “yes” effort by major cannabis companies. The winners list here is long, but some of the primary victors include General Consultant Tre’ Evers, Senior Adviser Ryan Tyson and DeSantis’ Chief of Staff, Uthmeier, who served on the committee’s board in his personal capacity. Also in on the win were Deputy Campaign Manager Clay Barker and Spokeswoman Sarah Bascom and her team, who handled comms along with Andrew Romeo and Liesl Hickey at Ascent for ads — most notably the dude trying to grow his weed — Ryan Houck for ads such as “Monopoly” and “Kamala,” and Courtney Weaver at IMGE for social and digital media. Ana Carbonell gets props for Dade County strategy, while Dr. Jessica Spencer chipped in by traveling the state to debate the likes of John Morgan and Gruters, among others. Rounding out the team is Reichelderfer, who was instrumental in No on 3’s media placement strategy, as well as FlexPoint for media buying.

Team No on 4 — Much of the team that worked on No on 3 also worked on 4, except sub in genius John Sowinski for Evers and former DeSantis spox Taryn Fenske for Bascom on comms.

Team Corey Simon — Simon’s decisive win was led by Reichelderfer and Campaign Manager Cooper Harrison, Finance Director Sandy Taylor, Communications Adviser Erin Isaac, and an army of volunteers across 13 counties. He was also backed by the team at the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (FRSCC), led by Executive Director Joel Springer and Political Director McNally Merlini, with Pat Bainter’s Data Targeting team.

Team Daniel Perez — A supermajority was secured by incoming Speaker Perez’s House campaigns team, returning 85 House members this coming Organization Session. Led by Perez and anchored by Executive Director Nick Catroppo and GC Tom Piccolo (two-time leader of historic House wins at the helm), the team consisted of Sydney Fowler for member services and scheduling, Tony Cortese, Hannah Littlejohn and Alex Barrera on finance, Faron Boggs on political and Sarah Bascom and Lyndsey Brzozowski leading communications. The group delivered a resounding victory on Election Day. While most political pundits and Democrat operatives entered Tuesday confident that they could end the supermajority in the House, Tuesday night brought a much different result. The House campaigns team not only held their supermajority but managed to flip two Democrat seats along the way, keeping a historic margin in the Florida House.

Ben Albritton — The soon-to-be Senate President continued the FRSCC supermajority streak, building on the massive Primary win in SD 7 for Tom Leek with an encore performance in Simon’s 12-point SD 3 win. Albritton invested early this year in the RPOF’s success and contributed heavily to the Governor’s mission to defeat Amendments 3 and 4.

Americans for Prosperity Action — Americans for Prosperity Action (AFPA) endorsed 55 candidates this election cycle. Of those candidates, 54 won. Storming Skylar Zander, the general of the grassroots army, had the troops humming this cycle. The army knocked on thousands of doors backed up by mail and digital campaigns. They had a clean sweep during the General Election, going 43 out of 43 races. Among those who won on Tuesday, after backing from AFPA, were Simon in SD 3, Erika Booth in HD 35, Susan Plasencia in HD 37, and Vicki Lopez in HD 113.

Associated Industries of Florida — With its first election cycle under its belt, the AIF Center for Political Strategy proved its worth to its members and the Florida business community. From providing strategic statewide and district polling to holding focus groups to fine-tune messaging for numerous mail programs for pro-business candidates and more, AIF has built itself into a ‘go-to’ political operation for the Florida business community.

Fabián Basabe — It’s not our policy to highlight winning candidates in this W&L list, but we have to say, if you’re going to come at the king of South Beach, you better not miss. Basabe didn’t just win; he showed that a Republican can keep this seat for years. The Miami Herald and Jim DeFede were so relentless in their attacks on Basabe that they might need to write off their time as an in-kind to the Saunders campaign. Basabe came into the race with something to prove; now he’s got two more years in a seat Democrats desperately wanted to flip.

Bascom Communications — Bascom Communications & Consulting had a big night, collecting two congressional campaign victories and leading the communications efforts for both U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee and Aaron Bean. The Bascom team also served as advisers to House campaigns. Sarah Bascom and Lyndsey Brzozowski served as communications advisers to Speaker-designate Perez, who secured a supermajority for the Florida House. Perhaps their biggest win of the night, however, was the defeat of Amendment 3. The entire team played a crucial role in advising the opposition campaign faced with an adversary backed by more than $150 million. Collectively, the Bascom team — Bascom, Brzozowski, Kelsey Deasy, Kristen Grissom, Alyssa Rudd and Rebekah Stamps — came out as big winners on Election Day for their clients.

Dean Black — The Chair of the Duval County Republicans had a successful 2024 cycle, surfing the red wave to arguably his best electoral performance in the role. Trump and Rick Scott got the most votes in their respective races, while conservative Reggie Blount won a left-of-center School Board seat due to GOP buy-in. And yes, Black won re-election to the Florida House. Black, a State Committeeman, will be helping out with Republican outreach operations in Tallahassee and Washington going forward. And he’s also optimistic that Republicans can take back the Jacksonville Mayor’s Office in 2027.

Pam Bondi — Of all of those on Team Trump, few can claim to have been there for as long as the former two-term Attorney General turned indefatigable defender of the President-elect. As scandals swirled around him during his first term and his time out of office, Bondi argued strenuously that Trump was in the right on issue after issue that made other Republicans squeamish in media scrutiny, serving as the point during his 2020 impeachment defense. Bondi’s aggressiveness has been a prototype for her successor, Ashley Moody, here in the state, but the real question in The Process is what role she will assume in the Trump White House. She appears to be in line for substantial responsibility. She definitely earned it.

Consensus Communications — Consensus Communications proved once again why its Orlando-based “green room” is a frequent stop for Florida’s leading Republicans. Evers and John Sowinski served as General Consultants for the campaigns to defeat Amendments 3 and 4, respectively. At the same time, Houck’s creative shop developed advertising and strategy for nearly 50 campaigns and produced over 400 ads this year alone. Houck is backed by production maven Dan Cunningham and a star ad-making team that includes Trent Phillips, Morgan Entsuah and Ben Engel. The firm’s TV spots helped power the surprising defeats of Amendments 3 and 4, while helping Amendment 2 get over the finish line. Its clients also included U.S. Reps. Lee, Bean, Scott Franklin and Dan Webster; state Sens. Simon, Keith Truenow and Leek; Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez; and most of the Florida GOP’s swing seat House candidates. Evers and Dana Loncar served as General Consultants for successful penny sales taxes in Seminole and Orange counties and for the Supervisor of Elections in Seminole County. Not just a Florida powerhouse, Consensus handled swing seat advertising for North Carolina’s House GOP and general consulting and media consulting for a successful voter-control-of-gambling measure in Arkansas.

Continental Strategy — Talk about a firm riding high. Helmed by Trump’s former Ambassador to the OAS, Carlos Trujillo, who also ran Latinos for Trump in 2024, the firm never wavered from supporting the former President. And they bundled and raised millions for him throughout his election, often attending events at Trump National Doral Miami and Mar-A-Lago. Most recently, Continental Strategy announced that Katie Wiles will be a Director in their Washington DC and Jacksonville offices, which expands her previous portfolio from strategy and communications. Arguably, there are few Florida firms closer to Team Trump than Continental and many in The Process are now working closely with Trujillo for their own Transition and Inaugural prospects.

Cornerstone Solutions — Cornerstone bills itself as one of Florida’s top bipartisan firms, and it lived up to the hype, going 12 for 12 on Election Night. In an election year where Democrats saw tough losses across South Florida and in some Palm Beach County races, Cornerstone guided its Democratic candidates to significant victories, keeping Palm Beach County’s constitutional offices blue and helping Democrats retake control of the County Commission. The firm, helmed by Rick Asnani and ably staffed by consultants Jonathan Cooper, Alastair Macaulay, Alex Ring, Nick Vidaurre, Sean Darch, Katrina Long Robinson, and Daniel LeeBove, as well as compliance officer Kim LeeBove, is also tied to a lengthy list of “firsts” for Palm Beach County: the first woman and first African American State Attorney in county history; the first Hispanic woman to be elected to the PBC judiciary; and the first Hispanic person elected to the County Commission. Cornerstone Solutions led Sheriff Ric Bradshaw to a record sixth term and secured passage for a referendum expected to generate $2 billion for PBC schools over the next decade.

Educated We Stand — Educated We Stand celebrated major victories this cycle, with 20 of 25 endorsed candidates triumphing over Moms for Liberty-backed opponents in crucial School Board races in Florida and Michigan, achieving an 80% success rate. In Florida, 13 candidates won, flipping three GOP-held seats and protecting 10 Democrat-held ones, while in Michigan, all seven endorsed candidates secured seats in Oakland County districts. Jennifer Jenkins, the organization’s Chair known for defeating Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich in 2020, continues to champion unbiased education and LGBTQ+ rights despite facing threats.

Florida Chamber of Commerce — The Chamber isn’t blaming the pigs; they’re thanking them. The pro-business group was at the forefront of the anti-Amendment 3 effort. While their work over the past several months was certainly impactful, they laid the groundwork for this win back in 2006, when they channeled ire over the infamous “pregnant pigs” amendment to bump the threshold to pass from 50%-plus-one to 60%. Defeating recreational pot was their marquee win, but not its only one — it was joined by dozens of victories for Chamber-backed candidates, 98% of whom won the election last week. As they do cycle after cycle, the Chamber proved once again that when the business community comes together, it’s a force to be reckoned with.

Chris Latvala — Pinellas County Commissioner by day, expert campaign strategist by night. Latvala was the go-to guy for five campaigns this cycle, and each one came up as a winner on Tuesday night. His state House slate included Kaylee Tuck, who won by a 50-point margin and Kim Berfield, who dominated Bryan Beckman in a decisive victory (fun fact: he also helped defeat Kathleen Beckman this year). Latvala is also touting wins for incoming Largo City Commissioner Mike Dibrizzi and Pinellas School Board member Katie Blaxberg, who overcame heavy opposition from high-profile figures such as DeSantis, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and even Hulk Hogan. Add in his work on Pinellas County Commission races, and you have all the ingredients for a successful cycle. Shumaker Advisors’ Alan Suskey says it best: “Chris did what Latvalas always do — guided conservatives to a big win on Election Day. The Pinellas County Commission will be well served by Commissioners Scherer and Nowicki joining the conservative majority.”

Long Run Strategies — The boutique firm scored five out of six wins in targeted re-election races in the House, and went three for four in House races in which they were on the offense. They also enjoyed three wins in Senate races, making Election Night a banner accomplishment for the firm. Wins included House District 38, where incumbent state Rep. David Smith faced a tough challenge from Democrat Sarah Henry. The victory spotlighted Republicans’ turnout efforts this year, winning in a district considered virtually unwinnable without running up turnout. Smith’s campaign turned out the vote, and then some, gaining an early vote lead just three days into voting and never l it. Long Run Strategies also scored a revenge victory in House District 35, where Erika Booth won a rematch against Democrat Tom Keen to take the seat back after Democrats only just flipped it in a high-profile Special Election less than a year ago. The firm also scored a big win in Senate District 7, where state Sen. Leek won with more than 68% of the vote after emerging from a bruising Primary.

Tom Leek — The Republican is not just the winner of the Senate District 7 seat, he is the biggest winner in the history of Florida legislative elections. With an unofficial tally as of Friday afternoon of 237,065 votes in his victory column, Leek has received more votes than any other legislator on a Florida ballot … ever. After the rocket scientists at the Florida Justice Association and their FAFO collaborators burned up $12 million trying to stop Leek in the Republican Primary — that he won by 20 points — Leek had an unfunded Democrat on the ballot that he dispatched with his record-breaking win. FAFO, indeed.

Terry Miller — Kingmaker, Kingpin, Godfather. … Call him what you will; the man clearly sits at the head of the Southwest Florida political table and further solidifies that seat with each passing election. His clients credit his success with his work ethic, a keen eye for good strategy, and simply being a genuinely great guy to be around. Whatever it is, it works. Tuesday night, “The Millerites” went 12/13, including state Sen. Jon Martin and state Reps. Mike Giallombardo, Tiffany Esposito, and a bundle of prominent locals, such as Lee County’s first-ever elected Superintendent, Denise Carlin.

Dan Newman — There were only a few bright spots for Democrats last week, and Newman was responsible for three. The Democratic consultant kept the GOP at bay in House District 9, where state Rep. Allison Tant posted historic fundraising numbers and won by double digits in a seat entirely contained within the Republican-controlled Senate District 3. Newman also kept SD 25 in the blue column, which, although a keep and not a flip, wasn’t a given considering the seat went for DeSantis two years ago and Trump this cycle. However, his most impressive victory was in the Leon County Commission District 4 race, where Brian Welch’s 21-point win came despite the district’s R+7 electorate.

Jason Pizzo — Among the Florida Democratic Party’s brightest stars, the incoming Senate Democratic Leader faced a relatively easy path to re-election against a self-funded and unserious challenger. So rather than use his ample funding to put even more distance between himself and his opponent, Pizzo spent millions helping other Democrats around the state to position themselves better ahead of Election Day. But the real reason he’s a winner isn’t due to his electoral victory or strategic generosity; it’s because he’s so frequently been right on policy issues despite his party’s leftward lurch, and his continued service will enable him to, in his own words, “initiate a course correction on (several) political issues” moving forward.

Public schools — Voters across the state approved all but one of the 22 referendums seeking new or expanded local school taxes. Gadsden County was the only place voters rejected a tax increase for schools. Big wins came in Pinellas County, where voters not only voted to extend an existing property tax that funds annual teacher pay bonuses and other items but, in doing so, also agreed to double the local property tax rate from a half mil to a full mil; and in Hillsborough County where voters approved two measures, both with positive impacts for public schools. A tax proposal to boost teacher pay through a $1 per $1,000 of taxable value (1 mil) property tax easily cleared. Voters also approved extending the county’s Community Investment Tax, a half-penny sales tax that funds various infrastructure projects. Under the approved 15-year extension, Hillsborough County Schools will receive 5%, which is down from the 25% the district had received.

Alex Rizo — Tuesday’s election was a bloodbath for Miami-Dade Democrats, and Republicans were doing the bathing. The Miami-Dade GOP, led by Hialeah Republican state Rep. Rizo as Chair, took all five county constitutional offices, including Sheriff, while keeping all their state and federal posts. And atop the ticket, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win in the county since George H.W. Bush did it in 1988. Notably, Miami-Dade Democrats still outnumbered Republicans heading into Election Day, but that is likely to change in the coming year as things get even worse for the blue team.

Rubin Turnbull & Associates — Rubin Turnbull has established itself as a powerhouse in Florida’s political landscape, guided by founder Bill Rubin’s strategic vision and foresight. Through early support and collaboration with prominent leaders such as Wiles, U.S. Sen. Scott, Florida House Speaker Perez, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez, and DeSantis, the firm has fostered connections that will be pivotal in influencing Florida’s political direction in the years to come, reaching far beyond the state Capitol.

Wilton Simpson — The farmer from Trilby may not have been on the ballot this year, but that didn’t stop him from helping the candidates and causes he cared about make it across the finish line. He endorsed and financially supported candidates up and down the ballot and hosted a successful fundraiser for Trump with now-Vice President-elect JD Vance at his family farm. He seeded the Yes on 2 campaign with a generous contribution, putting skin in the game early and carrying the mantle through Election Day to forever protect the rights to fish and hunt in Florida with a 67% win. Simpson put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the RPOF early this year and answered the Governor’s call to help fund the fight against the marijuana and abortion amendments.

SIMWINS — The firm of Anthony Pedicini and Tom Piccolo delivered the only two Republican pickups in the Legislature, with House candidates Booth and Anne Gerwig, as well as almost a dozen battleground victories. The duo also delivered Republican wins throughout Hillsborough County, including State Attorney Lopez and the expansion of the Republican majority on the Hillsborough County Commission with the countywide victory of Chris Boles. The firm continues to be a standout firm with not only the amount of leadership and new member clients across all levels of government, but they continue to grow their client list every cycle.

Carlos Trujillo — Continental Strategy is riding high. The firm is run by Trump’s former Ambassador to the OAS, Carlos Trujillo, who also ran Latinos for Trump in 2024. The firm never wavered from supporting the former President. And they bundled and raised millions for him throughout his election, often attending events at Trump National Doral Miami and Mar-A-Lago. Most recently, Continental Strategy announced that Katie Wiles will be a director in their Washington DC and Jacksonville offices, which expands her previous portfolio from strategy and communications. Arguably, there has been no Florida firm closer to Team Trump than Continental and many in “The Process” are now working closely with Trujillo for their own Transition and Inaugural prospects.

The Vogel Group — Few other governmental affairs firms will be more strategically positioned and better connected with incoming legislative leadership than the Vogel Group, helmed by Eileen Stuart. Its team, which includes David Childs, Gary Hunter, Andrew Liebert, Kyle Langan and Chad Revis, have long-standing relationships with President-designate Albritton and Chair Lawrence McClure, top lieutenant to Speaker-designate Perez. Watch them deliver big things for their clients over the next two years.

Honorable mentions

Broward Democrats — The election was a bloodbath for Democrats, but historically blue Broward did what it’s known for and elected Democrats up and down the ballot. Credit the performance to Executive Director Christine Disbrow and Chair Rick Hoye, who worked nonstop with little to no help from the state party. We’ll leave it to others to say whether the results were because of or despite that, but either way, Florida Democrats have an example to look to as they pick up the pieces and start prepping for 2026.

Jessica Baker — Trump’s election will benefit the Southside Jacksonville State Representative, who took care of business herself with a double-digit re-election win last week. Marginalized for a time by coming up on the wrong side of the race for future House Speaker against DeSantis-backed Jennifer Canady, it felt like Baker would be consigned to the back-bencher fate imposed on so many rejected candidates for leadership. She was an early Trump endorser in the Primary, backing him when most Republicans in the Senate and House were Never Backing Down. But with Trump earning a second term, the rising tide lifts the Baker boat. Husband Tim may end up as part of the Florida pipeline to the White House, and the President-elect’s comeback gets her out of the Tallahassee doghouse.

Tripp Bertsch — Fun fact: Bertsch’s birthday twin is Rafael Nadal. Double fun fact: Just like Rafa, expect an ace if he catches the opposition sleeping. If you need proof, check the scoreboard. This cycle — his first outing — Tripp Bertsch went 2-0 managing campaigns for Richard Gentry in HD 27 and flipping a D seat to R with Gerwig in HD 93. The latter was a nail-biter, with just 356 votes separating her from now-former state Rep. Katherine Waldron. Also, the answer you’re looking for is June 3, so go ahead and plug that into his contact card. You’re welcome.

Erica Chanti — Rubin Turnbull is already on the winners’ list, but Chanti earned herself a solo shoutout for putting in the legwork (literally) to get state Rep. Lopez re-elected. The veteran lobbyist spent the last several months on pounding pavement in HD 113, knocking on doors for and with the Miami Republican. It paid off with the very thankful Representative scoring a 10-point win over her Democratic challenger. Lopez isn’t the only lawmaker in her fan club, either — she’s always been there for incoming House Speaker Perez, which is exactly the kind of relationship building that turns good lobbying firms into a Top 5 one.

Julian Cintron — The only Democratic Campaign Manager to flip a Florida House seat from red to blue, led Leonard Spencer to a quiet but noticed victory over Carolina Amesty in House District 45. Sure, he did it by keeping his head low and letting people Google the incumbent’s name. But a win’s a win. And Democrats should cherish all the ones they can get right now.

Mark Cross — Joe Biden carried Osceola County by 14 percentage points four years ago. Last week, the defiantly blue bastion went for Trump. Sure, similar swings played out across the state, but the Central Florida trendline had spent the past decade swinging toward Democrats. After the initial wave of votes, it looked like Osceola Republicans, led by county Party Chair Cross, would fall short, but the tables quickly turned. The top-of-ticket results in Osceola had down-ballot ramifications, too, with incoming state Rep. Booth’s victory effectively dashing Democrats’ hopes of breaking the Republican supermajority in the Florida House.

Nicole Fumarola — At just 22 years old, Fumarola managed state Rep. Lopez’s campaign through a particularly tight and hard-fought race in HD 113, ultimately securing an impressive 55% of the vote. Her strategic mindset and ability to pivot quickly in high-pressure situations set her apart, and her leadership skills and adaptability earned praise from veteran campaign pros who saw her in action. Expect this name on the next batch of “rising stars” lists.

Chris Sprowls — The unlikely team the then-Speaker-designate put together in ’20 (Piccolo, Tony Cortese, Faron Boggs, Kevin Sweeny), along with the blueprint of candidates he selected during that presidential year, continued to provide fruitful dividends across the state.

Carlos Muñiz — He preserved the independence of the judiciary by permitting Amendments 3 and 4 to go on the ballot despite vocal challenges from the DeSantis administration and the Attorney General.

Team Rodriguez — Every cycle, scores of political newcomers run for office. Most of them flame out well before November. But now and then, a fresh face avoids the first-time candidate pitfalls and runs an “A”-grade campaign. Danny Rodriguez was one of them in this cycle. Despite facing a well-known opponent (Miami-Dade Realtors bigwig Daniel Guerra, who sported a raft of significant endorsements) and being outspent 2-to-1, Rodriguez is set to join the South Miami Commission. The victory didn’t come easy — just 189 votes separated the candidates. Rodriguez didn’t go it alone, of course. Assist credit goes to consultants Alex Miranda and Ryan Fernandez, with a special shoutout to the candidate’s first cousin (and ground game go-to), Joseph Salzverg.

Ashley Walker and Eric Johnson of Mercury Public Affairs — These Democratic consultants stood out as winners on Election Night despite their party experiencing a tough night overall. Walker successfully managed the campaign supporting Hillsborough County’s Community Investment Tax and the city of Tampa’s referendum seeking to end specific residency requirements for non-elected city leaders, such as city administrators, some department directors and the Police and Fire Chiefs. Johnson, meanwhile, also enjoyed success with the re-election of U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan. Johnson also served as a lead consultant for Palm Beach County Commission candidates Maria Sachs and Joel Flores and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. Working together, the pair successfully ran Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony’s re-election campaign. They were key players in the Educated We Stand PAC, which worked to elect School Board members opposed to far-right ideology. Candidates aligned with the ultraconservative group Moms for Liberty were defeated en masse across the state. The pair won 20 out of 26 targeted races, including 13 in Florida and seven in Michigan.

Mixed bag

Ron DeSantis — The one-time rising star flailed out in the Presidential Primary. Still, his legacy as Florida Governor will be taking a state with a Republican voter registration deficit, where he won by the narrowest of margins, but then finishing his tenure there with plenty of conservative legislative wins, a booming economy and the fastest growing Republican state in the country with supermajorities in the state Legislature, a 1-million-and-growing GOP voter registration advantage, and four of the remaining eight Democrat-held congressional seats in potential striking distance within two election cycles. And then there’s holding back two of the most expensive ballot initiative campaigns in history (with the help of a 60% pass threshold). In terms of party domination, DeSantis will boast quite the political legacy when he terms out in 2026.

In the meantime, DeSantis thanked Wiles, the Campaign Manager who put him into the Governor’s Mansion, with an attempt to blackball her in Florida politics. That didn’t turn out well, with Wiles leading Trump’s presidential campaign and soon, the White House. She destroyed DeSantis’ Oval dreams before guaranteeing the Mar-a-Lago leader’s return to Washington. Nearly every Republican in the congressional delegation chose Trump over DeSantis in the Primary. It seemed more laughable than arrogant when DeSantis preempted any job offer in the administration. Vacancies created by Trump appointments may provide DeSantis with a few more power moves this year. But as his Tallahassee time winds down, his best hope may be for Trump to take some of his worst enemies in the Legislature to Washington before lawmakers try and neuter him at home.

Trulieve — There’s every reason to put Kim Rivers’ company in the “L” column for underwriting the losing initiative campaign for Amendment 3. But even after suffering a narrow loss, Trulieve remains the 800-pound gorilla in Florida’s burgeoning medical marijuana market. It’s reasonable to suggest that the $100 million that, um, went up in smoke, backing the drive to allow recreational pot, was the best use of its marketing dollars possible. Did Trulieve lose in ‘24? Yes. But, in a bizarre case of unintended consequences, the voters also solidified the company’s place in the medical marijuana market.

Christian Ulvert — You win some, you lose some. In this case, South Florida’s most-known Democratic strategist did far more of the latter. That isn’t to say he didn’t enjoy any victories. His client, Alexcia Cox, made history by winning the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s race. But it otherwise was a reversal of fortunes for Ulvert and his Edge Communications consulting firm, which shot 100% from the field in the Primary before throwing up brick after brick in the General. Ulvert called Tuesday “a day of reckoning” for Democrats up and down the ticket. The party, he said, is in dire need of rebranding before the next election.

Rick Wilson — An ad a day couldn’t keep Trump away from a second term as President, but the Lincoln Project remains relevant even after the votes are counted. They will be well-positioned to voice resistance to the President-elect, which will bear real fruit in Midterm Elections that will likely be less friendly to Republican congressional majorities than the one just concluded. While they will be more likely to geofence the White House than Bedminster and Mar-a-Lago with their ads for the next four years, Trump’s re-election represents job security amid a retooled mission.

Losers

Women — Not only did they watch as Americans elect a male felon over a qualified female for the presidency, but Florida’s 60% threshold (which didn’t even get approved by 60% of the vote when it was on the ballot) for amendments means Florida is one of the only states where a ballot amendment to protect women’s right to have an abortion failed.

Nikki Fried — Maybe it’s time to change the last name to toast. After winning a contentious race for Florida Democratic Party Chair after the disastrous 2022 cycle, Fried spent months spewing absolute nonsense that Florida was in play. Even as early voting showed a drubbing in South Florida regarding turnout, she insisted publicly that the state’s electoral votes could go to Harris. The premise seemed so risible by then, and it’s unlikely anyone at the Democratic National Committee believed her, but any dollar invested was a dollar burned by Kamala Harris supporters. Fried spread party resources too thin. A strategy to run for every legislative seat in Florida resulted somehow in the party losing ground. Worse, the cycle was supposed to set Fried up as a candidate for Governor in 2026. Now, many question whether she should remain Party Chair. The only upside to staying in her current job is she wouldn’t have to run against a Republican to keep it.

No on 2’ers — Once again, Florida Democrats ultimately failed to understand the issues that matter most to hardworking Floridians; Fried and the Democrats formally voted to oppose the rights to fish and hunt. In a stunning display of arrogance, the FDP bucked the bipartisan amendment placed on the ballot with just a single “no” vote in the Legislature. Chuck O’Neal, the now-defunct lab-grown meat entrepreneur leading the campaign against the rights to fish and hunt, rallied tone-deaf editorial boards, the Sierra Club, and extremists across the state with fear-mongering tales of bear hunting in downtown Orlando.

SD 3 losers — The FJA solidified its placeholder as the biggest loser, doubling down in SD 3 after an expensive 20-point loss in the SD 7 Primary. Jeff Porter and the team at FJA pumped countless into Daryl Parks’ 12-point loss to Simon in SD 3.

The Trial Bar — There’s no denying they had a bad cycle. Despite pouring tens of millions of dollars into races across the state and helping its favored candidates heavily outspend their opponents, the trial bar suffered some notable and significant losses — from Parks in Senate District 3 to David Shoar in Senate District 7 to Rodney Jacobs in Senate District 35. Now, they have nothing to show for all those attack ads they funded except more business-friendly legislators to contend with.

Carolina Amesty — The only Republican to lose her seat in the Legislature — and the only one to run while indicted. A grand jury (called by a DeSantis-appointed State Attorney) laid felony forgery charges on the Windermere Republican. But rather than dipping like Joe Harding to deal with legal woes, she refused pressure to resign, clinging to doom. After demanding a speedy trial, her attorneys’ demands for witnesses pushed hearings off until after the election. The result? She lost the vote even in Osceola, making House District 45 the only battleground where Democrats came out on top. As Hispanics in Osceola broke for the GOP, they tossed the first Venezuelan American in the Legislature. And on top of all of it? The Magic Kingdom Representative clapped along through DeSantis’ “Mickey wars” and cracks about prisons on Disney property. Every time a political disaster rang, she answered the call.

Fentrice Driskell and Beth Matuga — Despite lots of talk leading up to the election about flipping seats in the Florida House, they still ended up staring at a GOP supermajority once again. Despite being two of the most capable Democrats in Florida, the scoreboard speaks for itself. (Plus, these results don’t bode well for whatever Driskell plans for ’26.)

Donna Deegan — There were good reasons for the Jacksonville Mayor to go all in on Harris, especially given that her office says it’s gotten nearly $800 million from the Biden White House. But the way she did it raised eyebrows. Going on London radio to accuse Trump of wanting to set up “concentration camp-type situations” to deal with illegal immigration raised questions about her understanding of optics, weighing in on presidential politics on foreign soil. But even with Trump’s team stacked with people from Northeast Florida, including COS Wiles, it’s hard to imagine she gets much access to or help from the new administration.

Jeremy Matlow — The perpetually angry Tallahassee Commissioner and his aide Ryan Ray (who is also head of the Leon County Democratic Party, because conflicts of interest have apparently been suspended in the capital city), keeps attacking anything that moves, in a vain attempt to win a majority on the Tallahassee City Commission. Matlow and Ray spent so much time attacking fellow Democrat Curtis Richardson that they forgot a little detail called countywide turnout. The result is that D’s made up less than 50% of the supposedly deep-blue Leon’s voters for the first time anybody can remember. Matlow is selling the same hard-left hokum that is killing the national party while also seeing black helicopter conspiracies everywhere — the Chamber, the Tallahassee Democrat, developers, the Children’s Services Council, FSU … heck, even the nonpartisan Village Square is part of Matlow’s axis of evil. In the end, he’s still stuck on a Commission minority.

Miami-Dade Democrats — The county’s long-dominant party ran into a red wall Tuesday despite having strong candidates for state and county offices. For Tax Collector, Democrats ran a forensic accountant and former state lawmaker. For Supervisor of Elections, they backed an election and ethics lawyer who served in the Florida House and has a state case law on election meddling named after him. However, the federal party’s comparatively weak position on immigration and lack of a cohesive economic vision, combined with too-extreme culture war leanings, helped to kneecap the local party’s chances. In addition, Harris didn’t once visit South Florida, while Trump was ever-present, and the quality of local candidates and on-the-ground efforts didn’t matter. And worse yet, shifting voter numbers suggest that by this time next year, Democrats will no longer outnumber Republicans in the county.