A year of high stakes and shifting alliances

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In Florida politics, 2024 has looked like a decade’s worth of drama in just 12 months.

The state has seen high-profile figures vying for the White House, heated debates over abortion and marijuana, and a controversial plan to turn state parks into golf courses.

Here’s a summary of this year’s key moments.

DeSantis’ presidential bid is short-lived

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis entered the 2024 presidential race in 2023 with high expectations, armed with a massive pot of campaign cash. But after months of stumbling in Iowa and other early voting states, DeSantis’ White House bid came to an abrupt end in January. The catalyst: a disappointing second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. In a video on social media, DeSantis acknowledged there was no clear path forward for his campaign.

“If there was anything I could have done to achieve a positive outcome — more campaign stops, more interviews — I would have done it,” he said. “But I cannot ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we do not have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I will suspend my campaign today.”

Florida Republican Party Chairman fired over sex scandal

While DeSantis was exiting the national stage, Florida Republicans were grappling with leadership changes closer to home. Christian Ziegler, the state party chairman, was voted out after allegations of sexual assault from a woman with whom Ziegler and his wife were having an affair. Although no charges were filed, the scandal led many to believe that Ziegler’s ethical lapses had alienated him from his party.

Evan Power took over as party leader in January, vowing to move the party forward. “I feel good — I think we’re ready to move Florida forward,” Power said. “It’s good to have this chapter behind us. The Florida Republican Party is bigger than one person.”

The battle over state parks

This summer, protests erupted across Florida when a state environmental official leaked a proposal to turn nine state parks into development centers. “controversial”Great outdoor initiative“He envisioned adding pickleball courts, golf courses and large housing facilities. Environmentalists were quick to oppose the plan.

“Do you want a pickleball court?” “Put it in a city park,” said Chris Costello of the Sierra Club of Florida, speaking at the August protest.

The leaker was fired, and Governor DeSantis distanced himself from the plan, calling it “half-baked” and “not ready for prime time.” He promised more public input before the idea is revisited in 2024.

“That’s the thing, I’d rather not spend any money on this, right?” DeSantis said in late August. “If people don’t want improvements, don’t do it.”

Political advertising wars and legal battles

Before the November election, the DeSantis administration spent millions of dollars running ads opposing two major ballot amendments: one aimed at expanding access to abortion and the other at legalizing recreational marijuana. The governor said the ads were public service announcements focused on informing, not persuading.

“Well, when it comes to defending Florida’s laws, Florida’s well-being, this is nothing new,” said James Othmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff. “Administrations over the past generations have struggled to defend state laws and oppose amendments that we believe will harm our way of life.”

But Florida Democrats criticized the ad campaign. Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, called it an overreach. “Nonsense and illegal,” Fred said. “I mean I have never, in my political life, or even in my study of politics, seen such government overreach. “They are stealing our money.”

Both the abortion and marijuana measures received majority support but fell short of the 60% threshold needed to pass.

Trump’s historic victory

While the state witnessed intense debates about politics, former President Donald Trump achieved a resounding victory in Florida. By a historic 13-point margin, Trump took control of the Sunshine State, and ultimately the nation, securing his place in the White House once again.

“We are going to help our country recover,” Trump said in his victory speech on November 6. “We have a country that needs help, and it needs help badly. We need help.” “We are going to fix our borders, we are going to fix everything about our country, and we made history for a reason tonight, and it will be that reason.”

Election night was a victory for Florida Republicans across the board. They re-elected U.S. Senator Rick Scott, maintained their supermajority in the state legislature, and retained key seats in Congress. The GOP also made significant gains among Hispanic voters and independents, leaving Democrats to reevaluate their strategy.

“We thought these independents were going to back Democrats heavily this cycle, but they didn’t,” Freed said in a post-election interview. “I mean they’ve been very focused on Donald Trump on two real issues…”

Those issues were the economy and immigration, Farid said.

Looking to the future: The road to 2025

As Florida heads into 2025, Fried says, despite her party’s losses, she is staying in the fight. Fried is up for re-election as state Democratic Party chairman in January and intends to continue pushing for party unity, stability and reform.

“I’m holding on,” Fred said. “I’m in this for the long haul to fix this party and continue to build on it.”

Next year promises more high-stakes fights as Florida’s political landscape continues to shift. Republicans will return bolder with new leaders in the House and Senate in the legislature. Trump’s Cabinet picks will reshape Florida politicians in Congress and state government. DeSantis begins his final two years in office with an uncertain political future.