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Friday, Jun 26, 2026

Did Democrats outnumber Republicans in Florida when DeSantis took office?

Clinton Engelberger | Suncoast Searchlight, Suncoast Searchlight
yes

When Gov. Ron DeSantis was inaugurated in 2019, there were over 200,000 more voters in Florida registered as Democrats than Republicans.

Registered Democrats had outnumbered Republicans in the Sunshine State from 1972 up until 2021. That year, Republicans surpassed Democratic voters 5.12 million to 5.08 million. 

That roughly matches the swing that DeSantis claimed during a June 12 conference. In 2019, there were 4.99 million registered Democrats compared to 4.77 million Republican voters. 

Florida had been widely considered a swing state in general elections. However, Republican numbers grew stronger following Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential win, and the state has been notorious for its conservative policies and laws throughout DeSantis’ term, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Republicans outnumber Democrats by 1.5 million people.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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