In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is projected to win his bid for a second term, and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is also projected to win reelection, according to The Associated Press. The outlet called the races shortly after polls closed in the Sunshine state. The Republicans’ election night victories were expected as Florida continues to shed the battleground reputation it has held for decades.
Governor
DeSantis’ convincing win over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist could potentially set him up for a 2024 presidential run. He has not yet announced whether he will run for the Republican Party presidential nomination, but if he does he could pose a significant challenge to former President Donald Trump.
Trump listed DeSantis among the candidates he endorsed in a pre-midterm rally in Ohio on Monday night. However, the good feelings between the Republicans is limited after Trump called the governor Ron “DeSanctimounious” at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
DeSantis is projected to win reelection easily, carrying over 60% of the vote with more than 85% of the votes counted. Notably, DeSantis won Miami-Dade County, once a Democratic stronghold, by more than 55%.
Senate
Incumbent Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is expected to win a third term against Democratic challenger Rep. Val Demings. Rubio was first elected in the 2010 tea party wave. State election results showed Rubio with more than 57% of the vote with over 90% of the votes counted. Rubio had a strong showing among Latino voters.
Demings, a third-term congresswoman and former police chief, made her law enforcement experience a top issue in the race. However, she struggled with how to address inflation and the economic problems facing the country.
DOJ watching Florida election polls
Florida state election officials sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Tuesday saying they would not allow federal election monitors inside polling locations in accordance with state law. The Justice Department announced its intention to monitor elections in the state in three Florida counties — Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach.
Brad McVay, general counsel for Florida’s Department of State, wrote the DOJ to say Florida did “not detail the need for federal monitors in these counties.” The Justice Department said it wanted to send federal monitors to “ensure that there is no interference with the voting process.”
The Florida Secretary of State Cordy Byrd told CNN Tuesday morning that DOJ’s request was not normal according to common practice over the years. Federal monitors watched over the polls in those same locations during the Trump presidency but from outside the polling stations. This year they requested access inside the polling locations.
While the state declined permission to enter the polling locations, Byrd said “they can certainly be outside of the polling place.”