Florida Democrats outlined a path Monday to break Republican supermajorities in the state Legislature, pointing to more than 30 local and special-election flips since the 2024 election as evidence that momentum is building ahead of the 2026 midterms. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said during a virtual briefing that the party has recruited more than 3,000 volunteers and holds an advantage in requests for vote-by-mail ballots. "The Republican supermajority in this legislature is breakable, and we are going to break it this cycle," Fried said. The party's tally includes local offices as well as recent legislative special elections, not 30 seats in the Florida Legislature. Fried attributed the gains to the Pendulum Project, a year-round organizing operation designed to maintain voter contact between major elections.
Democrats are building their message around affordability, blaming nearly three decades of Republican control for rising housing, property insurance, healthcare and everyday living costs. The party's candidates will also challenge a Republican-backed property-tax amendment headed to voters, arguing that cutting local government revenue could threaten services or shift costs elsewhere. "If they wanted to reduce the cost of living for everyday Floridians, they could have done that through the legislative process," Fried said. "Instead, what they're doing is making our local governments the big boogeyman." Party leaders believe dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and economic conditions could help Democrats reconnect with working-class voters, younger Floridians and voters with no party affiliation. Senate Democratic Leader-designate Tracie Davis said the party has "put in place the programs needed to capitalize and break these supermajorities once and for all."
The climb remains steep for Florida Democrats. Gov. Ron DeSantis defeated Democrat Charlie Crist by roughly 19 percentage points in 2022. Two years later, Trump carried Florida over Kamala Harris by about 13 points, the largest Republican presidential margin in the state since 1988. Republicans have built a voter registration advantage of more than 1.5 million. As of May 31, Florida had about 5.54 million active registered Republicans and 4.03 million Democrats, according to the state Division of Elections. Another 3.32 million voters were registered without a party affiliation. Republicans remain at or above the two-thirds threshold needed for supermajority power in both legislative chambers. A two-thirds majority amounts to 80 of the 120 House seats and 27 of the 40 Senate seats when every member is present.
Democrats will continue making their case at Leadership Blue, the state party's annual gathering, scheduled for July 17 through 19 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will deliver the keynote address at the July 18 gala. The weekend will serve as both a rally and a strategy session as Democrats try to turn scattered victories into a broader recovery.