After an eventful and suspense-filled election day on November 8th, the months of anticipation and intrigue surrounding the 2022 midterm elections are, with the exception of the Georgia U.S Senate recount, mostly over. Out of the numerous midterm elections that took place in the American Southeast, it is particularly important to interpret the results of the Florida gubernatorial race.

Incumbent governor Ron DeSantis secured an overwhelming victory at the polls. Winning nearly 60 percent of the overall vote, DeSantis secured a clear victory over former Republican-turned-Democrat Governor Charlie Crist who was unable to gain enough support for his far more moderate platform. Crist remarked in his concession speech, "I am eternally grateful for your support – and for all Floridians who care so much for our beautiful state. Unfortunately, tonight did not turn out the way we hoped." DeSantis, on the other hand, touted a far more aggressive message, asserting “We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die.” He finished with a potentially ominous “I have only begun to fight.” DeSantis’ culture wars and socially conservative stances have brought him into the national spotlight within recent years.

This election was a watershed moment for the state of Florida because it demonstrates a departure from the ‘purple’ or ‘toss up’ label that had defined it over the last several presidential elections. Florida’s overwhelming support of DeSantis portends a classification that is characteristic of a solidly red state instead a swing state. In particular, the vast difference in Miami-Dade county’s voting pattern within the gubernatorial election versus the 2020 presidential election is especially significant. In 2020, Biden won 53.4 percent of the majority Hispanic Miami-Dade vote, while Donald Trump only received 46.1 percent. Fast forward to November 8, that very same county voted in favor of DeSantis by an 11-point margin; DeSantis was able to secure a total of 55 percent of the vote within Miami-Dade.

While there can certainly be limitations when comparing a gubernatorial election to that of a high turnout presidential election cycle, this change certainly suggests a heightened trend among the demographic groups living within the county and state. According to the most recent U.S census data, 69.2 percent of people in Miami-Dade identified as Hispanic or Latino. It is clear that Governor DeSantis’s messaging appears to be resonating with Hispanic and Latino voters within this area. It will be interesting to see if such a demographic trend continues to bolster conservative candidates within Miami and the overall state of Florida as well.

Overall, Governor DeSantis appears to be in a prime position to utilize his heightened momentum to begin to build out a 2024 run. He certainly proved his viability as a 2024 candidate on November 8th.