Florida Voters Resoundingly Rebuke DeSantis and His Extremist Agenda

Florida Voters Resoundingly Rebuke DeSantis and His Extremist Agenda

Pro-Equality Wave Sweeps Florida’s 2024 Primary Elections

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a stunning rebuke to right-wing extremism and Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida voters delivered a resounding message on primary election night: enough of the weird obsessions, culture wars, and extremism. Across the state, LGBTQ and pro-equality candidates secured critical victories, delivering yet another blow to DeSantis’ failed agenda of censorship, book-banning, and anti-LGBTQ attacks on which he’s built his entire political reputation.

"The results are clear: Floridians are tired of the politics of rage and division. Voters across the state—Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans—stood up to reject the extreme candidates backed by DeSantis and his allies. This election was a rejection, a repudiation, and a rebuke of an agenda that has sought to divide us rather than unite us." said Stratton Pollitzer, chair of Equality Florida Action PAC. “Floridians have had enough of DeSantis and his cronies ignoring real issues while doubling down on censorship and government control to pander to extremists. They want representatives who will stand up for the rights of every parent and restore access to healthcare and quality education.”

Florida Voters Reject Extremism on School Boards

In school board races across Florida, DeSantis-endorsed candidates suffered significant losses. Two-thirds of DeSantis-backed candidates failed to win on Tuesday night, signaling a rejection of extremists hoping to escalate a far-right takeover of Florida schools. Of the 25 DeSantis-backed school board candidates, 12 lost outright and 6 are headed to tough runoffs. The only thing worse than a DeSantis endorsement was support from the GOP’s seedy and hypocritical, scandal-ridden far-right front group, Moms for Liberty. Their influence waned dramatically in 2024, with just 14 public endorsements and only 3 outright wins. School board candidates in battleground races ran from the Moms For Liberty endorsement, and those who championed it discovered on election night that it’s akin to an electoral kiss of death. On the contrary, 75% of Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed school board candidates won on Tuesday night or are headed to runoff.

Sarasota, a key battleground in the far-right’s war on public education, became the epicenter of these defeats. Openly LGBTQ school board member Tom Edwards, who DeSantis and Moms for Liberty targeted, won his reelection, while Equality Action PAC-supported Liz Barker defeated right-wing incumbent and current chair Karen Rose. Both candidates focused their messages on good governance and real world issues over manufactured culture wars, building winning coalitions of Democratic, no party, and moderate Republican voters. Voters on Tuesday clearly rejected the agenda championed by Moms for Liberty co-founder and Sarasota County school board member Bridget Ziegler, who has made national headlines for her war against LGBTQ students and families.

Other bright evening spots included a full sweep of all five pro-equality school board candidates in Broward County, including the ousting of two DeSantis-appointed board members. In Miami-Dade, Board Member Luisa Santos triumphed in a conservative challenge, and Max Tuchman moves on to a run-off against a DeSantis-appointed incumbent. In Pinellas and Hillsborough County, incumbents held firm against extremist challengers, while in Alachua County, pro-equality candidate Thomas Vu made history as the county’s first LGBTQ school board member.

November Poised for a Rainbow Wave

LGBTQ candidates also made significant strides in legislative races, setting the stage for an historic November. Openly LGBTQ democrat Mitch Rosenwald won his election for House District 98, ensuring he’ll join Florida’s first Black queer woman lawmaker, Rep. Michele Rayner, as a member of the Florida House. With the addition of Carlos Guillermo Smith’s victory for State Senate in June, the number of LGBTQ state lawmakers in Florida has effectively doubled already in 2024. Looking to November, Ashley Brundage’s victory in the primary for House District 65 marks a historic moment as the first transgender legislative candidate to win an election in Florida. If successful in the general election, Brundage will become the first openly transgender elected official in Florida. Brundage will join a rainbow wave of openly LGBTQ candidates appearing on ballots in November, opening the possibility of a tripling of LGBTQ representation in the Florida State Capitol for the first time.

Pro-Equality Champions Beat Back Challenges

A defining victory for Florida was the reelection of Daniella Levine Cava as Mayor of Miami-Dade County, one of the largest counties in the country. Levine Cava, an unwavering advocate for the LGBTQ community who has critiqued Florida’s recent wave of anti-LGBTQ laws, represents one of the most LGBTQ-affirming administrations in Miami-Dade’s history. Her resounding victory clearly signals that pro-equality values resonate with voters.

Up and down the ticket, we also saw voters reward champions of LGBTQ equality. Three of the Florida legislature’s most vocal critics of Ron DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ slate of hate faced serious challenges from more conservative former lawmakers. Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), Rep. Ashley Gantt (D-Miami), and Rep. Rita Harris (D-Orlando) all secured decisive victories, proving that voters reward leaders who fight for inclusion.

Equality Florida Action PAC’s Impact

For the Primary Election, Equality Florida Action PAC’s team mobilized in counties across the state to help get out the vote for pro-equality candidates. Their program included building 79 volunteer “Days of Action,” making nearly 50,000 calls, knocking on over 5,000 doors, and generating nearly half a million impressions through their digital ad program to support our champions, and the impact was clear.

Floridians have clearly rejected hate and division, choosing a future where every student can thrive.

To join Equality Florida Action PAC’s volunteer team, stay informed about critical races, and access our current list of endorsed candidates for the General Election, please visit eqfl.org/PAC.

Equality Florida Action PAC is the largest organization in Florida devoted to electing pro-equality candidates to all levels of government. Through mobilization, advocacy, and education, we engage and turn out pro-equality voters in Florida in support of LGBTQ and pro-equality candidates.

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