In one of the most decisive elections in modern history, incumbent President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off in a race for the White House. Florida, being a battleground state, was a toss-up leading to election night, with some experts predicting the state would lean toward Biden and others expecting Trump to be the winner of its 29 electoral votes. Florida Democrats hoped to win the State House and Senate, while Florida Republicans wanted to hold their decades-long standing as the majority party. With historically high turnouts, coronavirus cases rising and climate change reaching a turning point, this election is widely considered to be one of the most important of our lives.
Popular Vote in Florida
Incumbent President Donald Trump held a strong lead in Florida, with former Vice President Joe Biden underperforming among Cuban and Hispanic voters across the state. There was a much larger turnout in 2020 compared to 2016, with both Democrats and Republicans in Florida receiving nearly 1 million more votes. Despite this, the margin between parties grew, with Republican candidate Donald Trump taking 51% of the vote compared to 2016 where he received almost 49%. (Graphic/Ella Gohari)
Florida Presidential Race via Counties
Republicans: Florida Presidential Race via Counties
Democrats: Florida Presidential Race via Counties
Miami-Dade County, which was a very strong Democrat county in 2016, went to Biden by only 53%, likely due to the large population of Cubans in the county. Trump’s popularity with Hispanic/Latino voters seems to be trending across the country, with many state races narrowing due to Hispanic voters. Joe Biden overperformed with white voters in Florida, flipping previously Republican Pinellas County, which is near Tampa. However, this was not enough to give Biden the lead, as Trump took all 29 electoral votes with a margin of nearly 400,000. (Graphics/Bella Ramirez)
Seats in the Florida State House
Seats in the Florida State Senate
Florida’s House and Senate have had a Republican majority since 1997 and 1995 respectively. Along with Governor Ron DeSantis, Republicans continue to hold a trifecta in the Florida government. Since 2020 is a census year, the state government will play a role in redistributing districts and allotting funds around the state. (Graphics/Ella Gohari)
All data from the New York Times.
