Q&A of the Day – How Are Florida’s Blue Counties Trending?

Republicans have gained ground in every blue county in Florida over the past year with multiple flips along the way.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm going to question a lotest answers to questions you
won't here anywhere else. The Q and A of the
day reaction from our government to Brian mus show, I
don't get that. Today's Q and A how are Florida's
Blue counties trending business? Brought to you by Melissa and
Ashes check mark collections. Each day I feature a listener

(00:21):
question sent by one of these methods. You may email
me Brian Mudd at iHeartMedia dot com, hit me up
on social at Brian Mudd Radio. You may also use
the iHeartRadio talkback feature. Just go to WJNO or via
Patriot inside of the iHeartRadio app. Follow us once you
get there. Once you do, look for the little microphone button.
See it, tap it. You may lay down the message
right here, maybe for a future Q and A. Today's

(00:42):
note this, Brian, enjoy listening to your views during my
commute the question I have to use this. I was
in Hillsborough County for twenty years now, Palm Beach County
for almost five. It was always dated that Hillsborough data
in Palm Beach were solidly Democratic majority counties. I know
voter registration has moved more Republican. Are these counties still
majority Democrat? Thank you and keep up the great work. Well,

(01:07):
thank you for listening, appreciate the question. And actually I
remembered having covered this topic last year, and when I
found the story, it just so happened. It was in
the last it was last October that they did a
breakdown of all of Flora's blue counties, and so that
kind of, uh, you know, it's a good place to
pick up just all of the counties that have Democrat
majorities within the state, or at least the ones that

(01:29):
did last year at some point. So I'm going to
walk back there since you're you're asking about, you know,
where counties stand now, and I'm going to start by
breaking out the thirteen of the sixty seven counties that
had Democrat majorities as recently as last year. They were Alachua, Browerd, Duval, Gaston, Hillsboro, Leon, Liberty, Madison,

(01:56):
Miami Dade, Orange, Azila, Palm Beach, and Saint Lucis. So
what has changed in these counties over the past year,
Well quite a bit, quite a bit with a clear trend.
To make this as easy as possible in terms of
the trend line, here just picking January first, So this
is where we stand year to date in voter registration

(02:18):
changes through August. And first question is for you, how
many of the thirteen counties do you think Republicans have
made up ground in? As we're talking about the trend
of blue counties trending right, how many of the thirteen
counties do you think Republicans have had gains in this year?

(02:40):
The answer is all of them, all of them. In Alatua,
Republicans have netted about one thousand new voters. In Broward,
the blues, the blue counties in the state, Republicans have
fared better than Democrats by over ten one hundred voters.
In du Vall, that is where you will find Jacksonville,

(03:01):
Republicans have fared close to eighty seven hundred voters better
than Democrats. Gadsden, this is the closest of the bunge.
It is a small county, but nevertheless Republicans have bettered
Democrats by twenty three voters there this year. In Hillsboro,
the old stomping grounds of the listener who submitted today's note,

(03:22):
Republicans year to date are seventy five hundred voters better
off than Democrats. Leon County, that is where you will
find Tallahassee just over four thousand gains for Republicans. There,
Liberty County over thirteen hundred gains by Republicans, and that

(03:43):
county has flipped to a Republican majority. Similarly, Madison County
Republicans are seven hundred and forty five voters better off.
The county also has flipped to a Republican majority. Miami Day,
the biggest county in the state, also the big gains
by Republicans in the state, over thirty two thousand, three

(04:05):
hundred voters. That's the gain by Republicans in Miami Dad.
Year to day, Orange, which is where you find the
Maus House, It's where Orlando is, Republicans have come out
better by about fifty one hundred voters year to day. Aciola,
which is nearby, about twenty eight hundred voters therefore Republicans.

(04:26):
Palm Beach County Republicans are thirteen nine hundred and fifteen
voters better off than on January first. In Saint Lucia County,
there's been a move to the right by about forty
eight hundred voters. That county, likewise, has flipped to a
Republican majority, So you have a net gain of over
ninety two thousand voters year to day it across those

(04:49):
thirteen previously blue counties. So far this year, three of
those counties have flipped to Republican majorities. So it gives
you an idea of just how strong that trend really is.
You wanted specifically to know, Okay, well, what has been
going on in Hillsborough, Miami Dade, Palm Beach. Are those
counties still Democrat majority counties? The answer is yes, but

(05:12):
not by anywhere near the margins that they used to be.
Hillsborough County Democrats now have an advantage of just seventy
two hundred voters there, there's a chance at Hillsborough flips
of the current trends hold up before the year's up.
Miami Dade Democrats hold a majority that is just over

(05:34):
fifty thousand voters now, and in Palm Beach County Democrats
hold a majority of just over forty five four hundred voters.
So all three counties do remain Democrat majority counties, probably
still will on election day. But man, have we seen
a massive move to the right over the previous election

(05:56):
cycle and even just year two date, And you start
taking a look at, you know, the the implications going
forward as as well. Uh, there are many and one
thing to note, you know, talking about majorities, the Paulvitch
County Commission is a Republican majority commission now