DeSantis flags 35,000 vote gap as he pushes GOP to beat 2022 turnout

Florida Republicans have cast more than 1.4 million early ballots, a lead of nearly 35,000 votes over Democrats that Gov. Ron DeSantis called insufficient. Speaking on Wednesday, the former governor warned that the margin is smaller than it was at this point in the 2022 midterm cycle and urged party loyalists to increase their participation.

DeSantis made the comments while attending an event in Crystal River to announce environmental grant awards. He noted that Republican early voting numbers, which include both mail and in-person ballots, currently trail the pace of the last midterm election. He specifically identified parents in their 30s and 40s as a demographic that has withdrawn from the electoral process compared to previous cycles.

The governor attributed the shift in energy to the changing political atmosphere. He argued that the 2022 election felt urgent to many parents because issues like school closures, mask mandates, and parental rights were fresh and sensitive. DeSantis suggested that those specific concerns have receded, leading to lower engagement among that age group.

"For Republicans, I don’t necessarily want to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think the turnout has been as strong as we would like to see," DeSantis told reporters. "I think people need to get out and vote."

Earlier in the day, DeSantis campaigned in Brooksville with U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor. He reminded voters of his two terms in office and contrasted his record with the policies of Democratic nominee David Jolly. DeSantis emphasized his approach to the pandemic, noting that Florida reopened earlier than other states and kept schools open without mandatory masks.

He accused Jolly of opposing those strategies during his time in Congress. "Byron’s running against a guy who opposed us every step of the way on having Florida opened," DeSantis said. "(Donalds) has made it very clear that Florida did it right, especially during COVID when his opponent would have done precisely the opposite."

Despite the national economic frustrations driving voter sentiment, DeSantis advised Republicans to focus on local ballot measures. He pointed to Amendment 3, a property tax cut he championed, as a primary reason to vote. He encouraged voters to ignore Washington politics and cast ballots to reduce their property taxes.