Florida Democrats are now running billboards to get people to run for state office

In an attempt to recruit candidates to challenge Republicans in more than two dozen congressional and legislative seats across the state, the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) on Wednesday announced a billboard and digital campaign reaching out to Democrats in Polk, Madison, Miami-Dade, and Seminole Counties.

“There are 27 uncontested House seats with no Democrat running and it is up to us to change that,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried in a written statement.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried outside the Florida Supreme Court on Feb. 7, 2024 (photo credit: Mitch Perry)

“We are already competing in more races compared to 2022 but it is our goal to field candidates in every seat across the state and give Republicans a run for their money. As we get closer to qualifying deadlines, candidate recruitment is a top priority. 30 years of Republican rule has failed Floridians. Property insurance rates are through the roof, we lead the nation in teacher shortages, and over a million Floridians have been kicked off Medicaid because Florida Republicans refuse to expand it. We need more Democrats in the running to fight for the issues people care about and defend the programs Floridians rely on,” she continued.

In addition to the 27 state House district races not being challenged by the Democrats, the party says it is looking for candidates to compete against Republicans in four state Senate district races and three congressional contests, including in Florida’s Twelfth District, which Republican Gus Bilirakis has held since 2007. That district encompasses Hernando, Citrus, and part of Pasco counties.

Pasco hasn’t elected a Democrat to any state elected office in a decade, since Amanda Murphy won a state House seat in 2014. The local party is looking for candidates to compete in four state House districts (53,54, 55, and 56) and three county commission seats.

“It’s hard to get people to run for office, especially in Florida, because you have to put yourself out there. People tend to sometimes get a little rough with people and they’re afraid. And we hear it from people all the time, ‘Oh, yeah, I want to run,’ and then when we say, ‘You have to do this, this, and this,’ they back off,” said Brandi Geoit, chair of the Pasco County Democratic Executive Committee.

“So, we’ve been wanting people to run for the House seats and the four congressional seats and everything else like that because if you don’t have people running, it’s just giving the other guy a pass, because it’s not really an election.”

Recent victories

Polk County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Cesar Ramirez said it can be challenging to get Democrats to run in what is considered a red county, but he remains optimistic, discussing some recent victories the party enjoyed this month in what are ostensibly nonpartisan city commission races in places like Haines City and Lake Wales.

“What we’re really trying to change is the culture about what being part of a political party is,” he said.

“I tell people all the time, a political party does not make you, you make the political party. So when you’re running as a Democrat, you’re running on your principles and your ideas. They happen to be aligned with the Democratic Party. We don’t want our candidates or potential candidates to lose their identity, we want them to stand up for what’s right, and what they believe is right, and if we’re on the side of right, then we’re the party for you,” he added.

With the recruiting billboards now displayed in Polk, the Democratic Party is “demonstrating that we’re here to support you and your endeavors and, if our policies are aligned, then we are the party for you and we’re going to provide you as much support as we possibly can — boots on the ground, canvassing, whatever is necessary to get your vote, but we want to encourage folks our leaders in the community to step up and run,” Ramirez said.

Mockery

Top Florida GOP officialse mocked the announcement that the Democratic Party will recruit candidates via billboards.

State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia. March 21, 2023. Credit: screenshot/Florida Channel

“Floridians are so turned off by the @FlaDems radical agenda that they had to spend tens of thousands on billboards just to attempt to find candidates,” Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said on X. “While @NikkiFried is lighting her limited campaign cash on fire, Republicans are growing our registration lead, flipping local elections, and delivering for Florida’s citizens.”

West Central Florida Republican state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, who chaired the state party between 2015 and 2019, also derided state Democrats. “@NikkiFried recruiting D’s in unwinnable races. Can’t wait to see her winning percentage after this upcoming election,” Ingoglia wrote on X.

The billboard campaign comes as the deadline for candidates to qualify to run in congressional races in Florida is approaching. The last day a candidate can file for those races is April 26. The deadline for state legislative races is on June 14.

Meanwhile, Florida Republicans continue to dominate Democrats in voter registration. As of March 31, the GOP now has a lead of 892,000 voters, their largest in state history.

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