As he defeated Democrat Joe Biden in Florida, President Donald Trump on Tuesday used a familiar Republican playbook for statewide races: Dominate in rural and mid-sized counties and try to hold down losses in urban areas.
But Trump also was bolstered by a strong showing in Miami-Dade County, where support from Cuban-Americans and other Hispanics helped prevent Biden from running up large margins in the Democrat-rich county.
Trump defeated Biden in 55 of the state’s 67 counties, losing only one rural county — Gadsden, west of Tallahassee, unofficial results show. In all, he beat Biden by about 375,000 votes statewide, compared to a nearly 113,000-vote Florida margin over Hillary Clinton in 2016.
A large part of that improvement can be attributed to Miami-Dade, where Biden topped Trump by 84,792 votes, according to the unofficial results. That was down from Clinton’s 290,147-vote margin in Miami-Dade in 2016.
Biden also won by slightly smaller margins than Clinton in Democrat-heavy Broward and Palm Beach counties, but he won by larger margins in Orange and Hillsborough counties. In addition, the Democrat won by relatively small margins in Duval and Pinellas, which both were carried by Trump in 2016. The only other county that flipped to Biden was Seminole, where he won by 7,178 votes. In Flagler, Trump improved from taking 58 percent of the vote in 2016 to 60 percent this time.
But along with improving his performance in Miami-Dade, Trump relied on the GOP’s longstanding dominance in regions such as Southwest Florida, Northeast Florida and Northwest Florida and cleaned up in other huge swaths of the state. Consider this: Biden won in only four counties north of Orlando — Alachua, Duval, Gadsden and Leon.
Collier County, a Republican stronghold, had the highest turnout in the state at 90.25 percent and went for Trump by a margin of 51,291 votes. More broadly, the Southwest Florida coastal counties of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee went to Trump by a combined 220,551 votes, according to the unofficial results.
Though Biden topped Trump by 18,096 votes in Duval County, the rest of Northeast Florida went to Trump by large margins. For example, Trump won by about 130,000 votes in Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties, the four counties that surround Duval.
The picture was similar in the Panhandle. Trump won by a margin of about 184,000 votes in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay counties — roughly the area stretching from Pensacola to Panama City.
North of Tampa, meanwhile, Trump won by a combined 131,632 votes in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.
And in Sumter County, where Trump campaigned in the massive Villages retirement community, turnout was nearly 88 percent, and the Republican won by a margin of 33,427 votes, according to the unofficial results. The results were similar in neighboring Marion and Lake counties, where Trump won by a combined total of 95,356 votes.
–Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
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mark101 says
Don’t worry its not all about Fla, Trump is losing and he will only have the rest of Nov and the month of Dec to play President and on January 20, 2021 Biden will start.
Susan Grine says
I would like to know what do Republicans see in Donald Trump why would you vote for a man that has not tried to do anything about the virus nor try to get the economy back to somewhat normalcy what is it that you people see in him I see a destructive selfish person and he deserves to lose he also deserves to go to jail.
Steve says
I’ve asked myself the same question, Susan. How in the world could a man who puts kids in cages, called black nations “S__t holes”, is an obivious racist, sexest, made the U.S.the laughing stock of the world, lies 100 times a day and on and on, receive even one vote? We have a very serious problem in our nation when half of the people think this is acceptable behavior from the president of our country.
down so jukin says
as much as I think Trump is a jerk I cannot vote for the current democratic party platform – progressive ideas of cancel culture, woke (whatever that means) socialism, equality by equity, BLM over ALM, basic income, reparations, no cash bail, and the list goes on. and by the way I have yet to hear bidens plan for the virus other than hiding in a basement. he provided a typical bureaucrats response of 47 years of life in politics – a blue ribbon bipartisan commission to study the virus.
Hispanic American says
The virus is just that.. a virus. Have there been deaths? yes… will there be more? yes. But you blame one man?? Who has that much power to control a virus? When do we take responsibility for our own actions? If you’re sick stay home. Should he have sent police to everyones home who tested positive to make sure they never left their home?? As for the economy… It was doing just fine until the lock down. Didn’t you see the home sales? Stock market? Businesses all doing well??? AND it started to come back up again AFTER the lockdown!! AND let me ask you this… What makes YOU so dislike Pres Trump? The fact that he loves this country? The fact that he feels we should stand for the American Flag? The fact that there are more employed legal immigrants and African Americans than ever before? We have had no school shootings … but have had protesting, looting rioting and destruction in democratic cities. Then those governors had the audacity to ask for federal funding!!! As for the hispanic vote!!! I’m hispanic… You don’t know what we’ve been through to come here. Sacrifices we have made to come to this country… To become citizens to vote for presidents like him who love this country as much as we do. My family has seen first hand how socialism works!! That’s why we left our county to come here, to the U.S. where we could have better for our children. You all better be prepared for what will come when they deem Biden incompetent and Harris takes over. It will be the start of socialism like you’ve never seen before.
Steve says
Boohoo my Families did the same . The question for me is Whats to like about him??. The Pandemic 100 years ago was stamped out. We cant do it now? Bet me. The Economy is still the tail end of FRB Policy from 2008. Print and Stimulus to the Moon. You corner the aVirus we all get our lives back. I guess a pathelogical egomaniacal narcissistic Liar is ok to Vote for SMH
Deborah Coffey says
No. Republicans changed the votes. Two words: Clint Curtis. The GOP has the means. Google.
Steve says
Trump Wins Florida. Loses the Electoral College. I just dont see the reasons to Vote for the man but each to their own. Maybe Florida will smarten up one day.
Stretchem says
But I thought they were “bringing drugs … bringing crime … They’re rapists” ?
Apparently “some, I assume, are good people” ?
Stunningly inexplicable.
ASF says
So much for people remembering the immigrant experience with compassion.
Weldon B. Ryan says
With ICE overstepping their bounds and Hispanic children, brown and black, being kept in dog pen detention jails, and DACA in jeopardy I don’t understand why Hispanics didn’t support Biden!
marlee says
Does this mean the Republicans will now be all “in” for Immigration?????
No more bans or $ for walls?????
Laila says
Florida, the last state to hold honest elections.
TC from FB says
I’m so happy to see in the face of certain victory the tolerant left reaching out to understand and work with all Americans that might have different policy views to make our country better for all. I knew all along that if Biden was awarded the Presidency all of the hate we’re seeing across the country, and on this web site, would come to end. “Only thing that matters is who counts the votes”…Joseph Stalin.
Pogo says
@Hispanics?! Si – Hispanics!!
Castro chased a rat by the name of fulgencio batista (and all his blood sucking followers) out of Cuba and on to Florida. For all the years since then they have done two things: They kept Castro in power – and they added their already highly complex, mature criminality and virulently reactionary politics to the already putrid swamp that made Florida the winter home to robber barons and every major Mafia family. Time has passed, and the rest has remained the same. God, indeed, has a long face.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgencio_Batista
Hola! boss
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/2020-election/os-ne-npa-candidates-results-20201106-wxsas4obd5emndouxikegc3nam-story.html
The Florida history you weren’t taught
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Messick
And so it goes..,