Florida Democratic Party

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Florida Democratic Party
Chairperson Allison Tant
Senate leader Arthenia Joyner
House leader Mark Pafford
Founded 1834
Headquarters 214 S. Bronough Street
Tallahassee, Florida
Ideology Liberalism
Progressivism
Social liberalism
Political position Center-left
National affiliation Democratic Party
Colors Blue
Seats in the Upper House
14 / 40
Seats in the Lower House
39 / 120
Website
www.floridadems.org

The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Florida.

History

The Florida Democratic Party has historically dominated Florida's state and local politics. Florida's Governor's Mansion was closed to Republicans from 1877 until 1967, when Claude R. Kirk, a Republican from Jacksonville, was sworn-in as Governor of Florida.

Florida politics was largely dominated by the Democrats until Nixon's Southern Strategy, which took advantage of white objections to the advances of the American Civil Rights Movement resulted in a regional political realignment for the south. After Nixon's victory in 1968, the state voted Democratic in only four Presidential elections: 1976 (Jimmy Carter), 1996 (Bill Clinton), 2008, and 2012 (Barack Obama). The presidential election in 2000 was decided by a margin of 537 votes out of approximately 6 million cast, earning George W. Bush the presidency over Al Gore.

The Florida Senate was dominated by Democrats until 1992, when a majority of Republicans was elected. The Florida House of Representatives turned Republican after the November 1996 election. Since then, the number of Democrats in both chambers have continued to drop. The Florida Legislature became the first legislature in any of the states of the former confederacy to come under complete Republican control when the Republicans gained control of the House and Senate in the 1996 election. However, in the 2006 election the Democrats actually gained seats in the State House, the first instance of this occurring since the early 1980s.

In the 2006 election, the Democratic nominee for Governor was U.S. Representative Jim Davis from Tampa, Florida. He lost the election to Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist.

The most Democratic region of the state is South Florida, which contains the large cities of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. The Tampa Bay region is also relatively Democratic, although it has become much more competitive in recent electoral cycles. Leon County, which contains the state capitol of Tallahassee and Florida State University, and Alachua County, home to the city of Gainesville and the University of Florida, are also strong Democratic areas. North Florida and the panhandle are also very Democratic on the local level, although those two regions are solid Republican strongholds in presidential elections.

Florida Democrats demanded, on March 13, 2008, a new primary vote, and state party officials have a proposal for recouping the 210 delegates the Sunshine State lost when it moved its primary ahead of the approved time frame.[1] After weeks of negotiations, the Florida Democratic Party said March 17, 2008 it would not hold a second primary in the state.[2]

The current chairman of the Florida Democratic Party is Allison Tant, who replaced former Florida State Senator Rod Smith on January 26, 2013.[3]

The Florida Democratic Party under recent state chairs

Scott Maddox

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Scott Maddox, the former mayor of Tallahassee, FL, served as FDP Chair from 2003 to 2006, leaving the post to run for governor. The Associated Press noted that while Democrats suffered electoral defeats during his tenure, party activists "recogniz[ed] he had built up the party's infrastructure and volunteer base." [4]

Karen Thurman

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Karen Thurman, a former 5-term members of Congress from Florida's 5th District, served from 2005 to 2010. In 2005 Thurman was elected Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), succeeding Chairman Scott Maddox, who resigned in order to seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Thurman resigned on November 12, 2010 following the midterm elections.[5]

Rod Smith

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In November 2010, Rod Smith was elected Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), succeeding Karen Thurman who resigned on November 12, 2010 following the midterm elections.[6] Smith, a former Alachua County State Prosecutor and State Senator from the 14th district, became chair following his unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor in 2010.[7] Smith's term expired in January 2013, when he was succeeded by Allison Tant.[8]

Allison Tant

In December 2013, former lobbyist, philanthropist, and Democratic fundraiser [9] Allison Tant announced she would seek the chairmanship of the Florida Democratic Party.[10] She was elected in January, 2014, after a closely contested race against Hillsborough State Committeeman Alan Clendenin.[8]

After large national losses in 2014, Debbie Wasserman Schultz commission the Victory Task Force to "take a deep dive" to figure out what went wrong in 2014.[11] Similarly, Chair Tant created the state-level LEAD Task Force, to learn the lessons of the statewide Democratic defeat.[11]

Current federal Democratic officeholders

United States Senate

Photo U.S. Senators
Bill Nelson.jpg Bill Nelson, Senior Member of the United States Senate from the state of Florida.

United States House of Representatives

Photo U.S. Representatives
Official Congressional Portrait of Gwen Graham (FL-02).jpg Gwen Graham, 2nd District- Tallahassee, Panama City
Rep. Corrine Brown.jpg Corrine Brown, 5th District- Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando.
Alan Grayson Updated Headshot.jpg Alan Grayson, 9th District- Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud.
Kathy Castor, official 110th Congress photo.jpg Kathy Castor, 14th District- Tampa, St. Petersburg.
Patrick Murphy, official portrait, 114th Congress.jpg Patrick Murphy, 18th District- Ft. Pierce, Palm Beach.
Alcee Hastings Portrait c111-112th Congress.jpg Alcee Hastings, 20th District- West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, Delray Beach.
Ted Deutch official portrait.jpg Ted Deutch, 21st District- Greenacres, Coral Springs.
Lois Frankel, Official portrait, 113th Congress.jpg Lois Frankel, 22nd District- Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton.
90px Debbie Wasserman Schultz, 23rd District- Miami, Pompano Beach, Weston.
Frederica Wilson official House portrait.jpg Frederica Wilson, 24th District- North Miami, Miramar.

Former Florida Governors and U.S. Senators

Governors

Photo Former Governors of Florida
Buddymackay.JPG Buddy MacKay
SenatorChiles.jpg Lawton Chiles
John Wayne Mixson.jpg Wayne Mixson
Bob Graham, official Senate photo portrait, color.jpg Bob Graham
Florida Governor Reubin Askew.jpg Reubin Askew
42 Burns.jpg W. Haydon Burns
Cecil Bryant.jpg C. Farris Bryant
LeRoy Collins.jpg LeRoy Collins
Daniel Thomas McCarty (1912–1953).jpg Daniel McCarty
37 Warren.jpg Fuller Warren
Millard F. Caldwell.jpg Miller Caldwell
90px Spessard Holland
Florida Governor Frederick Cone.jpg Fred Cone
33 Sholtz.jpg David Sholtz
Doyle E. Carlton.jpg Doyle Carlton
Florida Governor John Martin.jpg John Martin
Cary Hardee portrait.jpg Cary Hardee
90px Park Trammell
Florida Governor Albert W. Gilchrist.jpg Albert Gilchrist
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward.jpg Napoleon Broward
William Sherman Jennings.jpg William Jennings
Florida Governor William Bloxham.jpg William Bloxham
Henry L Mitchell.jpg Henry Mitchell
FPFleming.jpg Francis Fleming
Florida Governor Edward A. Perry.jpg Edward Perry
Florida Governor William Bloxham.jpg William Bloxham
Florida Governor George Franklin Drew.jpg George Drew
Florida Governor Abraham K. Allison.jpg Abraham Allison
John Milton Florida.jpg John Milton
Florida Governor Madison S. Perry.jpg Madison Perry
Florida Governor James E. Broome.jpg James Broome
90px William Moseley

United States Senators

Photo Former U.S. Senators from Florida
Bob Graham, official Senate photo portrait, color.jpg Bob Graham
90px Lawton Chiles
90px Richard Stone
George smathers.jpg George Smathers
Sen Spessard Holland.jpg Spessard Holland
Charlesoscarandrews.jpg Charles Andrews
90px Scott Loftin
Claude Denson Pepper.jpg Claude Pepper
90px William Luther Hill
90px Park Trammell
90px Nathan Bryan
JamesPTaliaferro.jpg James Taliaferro
Duncanupshawfletcher.jpg Duncan Fletcher
90px William Milton
90px William James Bryan
90px Samuel Pasco
Charles W. Jones - Brady-Handy.jpg Charles Jones
90px Stephen Mallory II
90px Wilkinson Call
Hon. John A. Gurley, Ohio - NARA - 528705.jpg Stephen Mallory
James Westcott
David Levy Yulee - Brady-Handy.jpg David Levy Yulee

See also

References

  1. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/13/primary.proposal.intl/index.html
  2. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/17/florida.primary.decision/index.html
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External links