The blue tsunami from another angle this morning.
I am very pleased about the even-better-than-expected results in the nation as a whole.
But I am depressed about my state (Florida) losing the governor's and US Senate races, and about a harmful amendment that was passed.
However-- on the more local level things were not as bad.
Democrats picked up six state House seats. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/11/03/central-florida-democrats-flip-six-seats-in-state-house-help-end-gop-supermajority/
And they also picked up one state Senate seat. So maybe they can stand against the new-and-not-improved magat governor a bit better than before.
And in my tiny section of the state, the Democratic contender for a school board seat handily defeated DeSantis' minion who had been appointed a while back to fill a vacancy. A small and localized "Yay" for that. (I cannot understand why the governor gets to fill hyper-local positions like the school board. It shouldn't be his business. He also likes interfering with the local public utility. He'd LOVE to make it private. Wonder why....?$??$$ lol We are a blue county so he basically has it in for us. But we fight.)
Florida has always been my second home. My mother, half Cuban and half Spanish, grew up there with her six siblings, and throughout my childhood, I was surrounded by the lively, rapid-fire Spanish chatter of my extended family.
Many of my relatives had fled Cuba when Castro came to power, and they associated Democrats with Castro and Communism. That association ran deep.
My mother used to reminisce fondly about visiting Cuba as a young woman, traveling by bus across the island, enjoying the parties, clubs, lights, music, and excitement. She loved the beauty and exuberance of Cuban life. In her eyes, Castro had shut all that down. Cuba had become gray and poor, and that experience shaped how she viewed the political left.
I also saw how much my relatives aspired to prosperity, partly, I believe, as a way of rising above the discrimination they had experienced. A beautiful home, a nice car, and financial success represented freedom and dignity. They loved art, color, beauty, and fun. Politics was not nearly as central to their lives as those things were, although their political loyalties were deeply rooted.
I've noticed a similar dynamic among some Russian friends here in Massachusetts. Having lived with or inherited memories of repressive Communism, they associate Democrats with socialism and vote Republican because they believe they are protecting capitalism and freedom.
Of course, I'm speaking from personal experience, not offering an analysis of why Hispanic voters in Florida have shifted Republican. There are many different communities and reasons behind those votes, and I don't want to generalize too broadly.
This NBC article points to another important factor: a highly organized Republican campaign and a much less effective Democratic effort in Florida.
I still believe Florida can move in a bluer direction as more people come to recognize that authoritarianism can arise from either end of the political spectrum. The painful irony is that people who fled one form of repression may not always recognize the warning signs of another.
But meanwhile, Ana, you are living with the consequences of these choices, and I know that is hard. My heart goes out to you.
...54 Senate seats, took the house, and the people voted dem governors in 28 state - more than half the county. But that's not all. Looking at the APNews website LOCAL races have been swept by a great big BLUE broom. Mayors, City Council people, etc. Not just a blue tsunami, but a blue tsunami at the local level as well across many states.
I would say this is a resounding F. You to 45 by the American People.
It's a very clear statement to the Republican party that " Hey, you sided with a President who has committed war crimes and possibly commited treason, you approved a war that raised prices for everybody on everything, you've let the rich screw over the poor, and you have done nothing to help us while refusing to hold the President to account via a derelict of your duty, so - we're done with you".
The American People have spoken.
Congrats to everyone. This is what our vote does. 😁
Could not have been said better. The Broom.
As for campaign organization in Florida: I have heard that Angie Nixon said that she did not get enough support from the establishment Democrats because she is a member of the Democratic Socialist organization. If that's true, then shame on the Democratic party. A "D" is a "D", whether you like the flavor of the "D" or not. This election was do-or-die. Thankfully, "do" was the outcome nationally. But I also think Nixon shot herself in the foot by joining the DS when they invited her to do so over the summer. All it did was give the R's ammunition for negative ads. She lost by less than 2%. I think she could have won, otherwise.
Another problem for the Democratic party was the outrageous amount of money the R party poured into the campaign. All we heard was how horrible David Jolly (D) would be as governor and how Byron Donalds (R) would lower our taxes Yeah, right. Jolly did not ramp up his ads until very late in the campaign. He did not have the kind of cash to buy endless ads. I think that is not organization so much as budget. Then again, I do think there was a tendency for the D party to write off Florida as a lost cause and put their money elsewhere. Perhaps now that they understand Florida can be competitive, they will do better.