Fresh off of a disheartening performance in the November elections, the Florida Democratic Party says it's ready to win again.
Democratic County Chairs gathered in St. Petersburg this weekend to brainstorm and talk about ways to emerge victorious in 2018 after suffering a series of humiliating defeats statewide last year.
A sense of excitement seeped through the air as Dems were treated to surprise visits from some of Florida and the nation’s top politicos, all pledging to bring a win home for their party next year.
With new party chairman Stephen Bittel at the helm, Democrats are now taking their first steps to maneuver themselves on the road to success.
“We are going to try and make a difference this time,” Bittel told attendees Saturday. “We are not waiting around this time.”
Their work won’t be easy.
Last year, Dems were upbeat about their prospects. All the signs -- and polls -- said they were likely to see a series of wins. Florida Democrats, who have been in the minority party for nearly 20 years, were especially hopeful about the future.
Those hopes were quickly extinguished on Election Night, leaving Dems scrambling to figure out what went wrong. Not only did Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lose the general election, but Republicans defeated many Florida statewide candidates.
Two of the only large seat pickups the Dems saw were in Florida’s 13th Congressional District, where Charlie Crist, a former Republican, won by a three-point margin, and Rep. Stephanie Murphy's win over incumbent John Mica. Crist, one of the sole large victors, made a brief appearance Saturday morning to address the crowd.
Dems face an uphill battle, but they are setting their sights high for 2018.
At the top of the list for seat pickups in 2018 -- and one most prime for a political comeback: the governor’s mansion.
Democrats have lots of options this year. County Chairs heard from three of Florida’s potential gubernatorial candidates over the weekend, each making their pitch to their beloved party.
Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, former congresswoman Gwen Graham and Orlando businessman Chris King all came out or sent videos to show face and rub shoulders with party members. Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum was originally scheduled to make an appearance according to news reports, but was a no-show.
The candidates who did attend centered their messages around building excitement for the party again and igniting a “new hope” for Florida.
Graham hit the ground running at the meeting, making appearances at 14 of the party’s 16 caucus meetings Saturday. Most of the caucuses largely focused on planning future meetings rather than addressing plans of action to get out the vote next year.
Graham, who called her interest in a gubernatorial bid the “worst kept secret” in Florida, said Dems would persist and move ahead despite last year’s setbacks.
“We are in a really desperate place right now,” Graham said. “If we don’t win this time, we won’t have another election to give for the issues we care about.”
King, another gubernatorial hopeful, is also aiming to lead the charge for Dems in 2018, despite being a political unknown.
“We can win this race in 2018, and I want to be the type of candidate that makes that possible and gets you excited again about what is possible in Florida,” King said.
Another arena where the Dems will face strong Republican opposition will be in the U.S. Senate, where incumbent Bill Nelson is likely to face a brutal challenge from Gov. Rick Scott.
Nelson made a surprise appearance at the meeting with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, telling a group of college Democrats the time is now to gear up for next year.
“We are getting ourselves organized and ready to go to battle and you know it’s going to be a tough battle,” Nelson said.
Bittel agreed.
“We are in this war together,” he said. “Let’s win.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
