In third bellwether contest, Florida Democrats again carry the day and hope for a blue wave

[mystery-ak]

In third bellwether contest, Florida Democrats again carry the day and hope for a blue wave

By MARC CAPUTO

02/13/2018 07:58 PM EST

Updated 02/13/2018 08:33 PM EST


Strike three.

For the third Florida bellwether election in a row, the Republican candidate lost to the Democrat, giving activists and elites in both parties a sense that the GOP’s political grip is slipping in the nation’s largest swing state heading into President Donald Trump’s first midterm election.

Aside from her big 7.4 percentage-point win, what made Margaret Good’s victory Tuesday night over Republican James Buchanan so significant was that it took place in Florida’s 72nd House District. It had been held by a Republican in Sarasota County, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 12,000, or about 10 percentage points. Buchanan, the son of local Congressman Vern Buchanan, also had an advantage in name ID.

And Trump had carried the district by 4.6 percentage points in a state that he won by just 1.2 points in November.

more
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/02/13/in-third-bellwether-contest-florida-democrats-again-carry-the-day-and-hope-for-a-blue-wave-251975?lo=ap_b1

[Frank Cannon]

One Republican, who didn’t want to speak publicly against his party’s candidate, said earlier Tuesday that Democrats had another advantage in the Sarasota House seat: “Buchanan was a terrible candidate. And candidates matter.”

Here we go. This had nothing to do with Trump or national politics at all. This had to do with the state GOP dragging some loser legacy out and hoping name recognition was all that was needed.

[Concerned]

The 36th legislative flip to a Democrat since Trump's inauguration. 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrat-margaret-good-flips-seat-in-florida-the-36th-democratic-flip-since-trumps-inauguration?via=twitter_page