Florida Republicans are delivering a decisive performance in Tuesday’s primary election day turnout, according to early data, extending the party’s dominance in a state that has shifted sharply away from its longtime swing-state status.
Fresh Take Florida’s live election results, cited by Breitbart News, showed 425,887 Election Day Republican voters compared to 188,890 Democrats — a GOP advantage of 236,997 votes. Republicans also led in early voting by more than 143,000 ballots.
Democrats held one edge: vote-by-mail, where they led 549,656 to 461,155. Still, combined totals showed Republicans ahead by more than 293,000 votes at the time of writing. Republicans accounted for 49.75 percent of voters, versus 38.83 percent for Democrats and 11.42 percent for independents, according to that data compilation.
Long-term shift
The lopsided numbers reflect a structural change in Florida’s electorate. In November 2021 — for the first time in state history — registered Republican voters outnumbered registered Democrats. That gap has since widened to more than 1.5 million voters, transforming Florida from a perennial swing state into solidly Republican territory.
The trend is playing out in real time this election day, with GOP voters turning out in force while Democratic participation lags.
Governor’s race spotlight
The marquee contest is the gubernatorial primary, where Trump-endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) hopes to secure the nomination and eventually face likely Democratic candidate David Jolly. Incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to rally support for Donalds, writing: “Florida, Vote for Byron Donalds for Governor. He has my Complete and total Endorsement. He will never let you down! President DJT”
In a subsequent post, Trump praised Donalds’s character and record, adding: “I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!”
Trump also highlighted Donalds’s family and outlined priorities he said Donalds would advance as governor, including border security, military strength, veterans’ protections, energy dominance, tax and regulation cuts, and Second Amendment defense.
Beyond Donalds, Trump voiced support for other Florida Republicans on the ballot, including Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL), Attorney General James Uthmeier, and Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL).
Numbers still moving
Election officials caution that figures will continue to fluctuate as more ballots are counted. But the early margin — with Republicans nearly two and a half times as likely as Democrats to vote in person on primary day — underscores the party’s organizational strength and voter enthusiasm.
Independent voters, who make up more than 11 percent of the electorate, could play a decisive role in close races, but Tuesday’s turnout so far suggests the GOP’s ground game is translating into real advantages.
As the evening progresses, all eyes will be on the gubernatorial primary results and whether the GOP’s turnout surge holds — a sign of what may come in the general election.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/18/florida-republicans-trouncing-democrats-on-election-day-turnout/