Red wave sweeps in supermajorities in Florida Legislature

In the end, Democrats in the Florida Legislature didn’t even come close.

Republicans secured not only a solid majority in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate Tuesday, they won a supermajority in both chambers that gives GOP leaders unfettered control over the legislative process with the largest majorities in a decade.

Republicans upset two incumbent senators, two incumbent state representatives and won three open Senate and five open House seats.

They did it by capitalizing on a surge in Republican turnout, a historic advantage in voter registration, and an unprecedented amount of campaign spending.

Race-by-race results: Click here for all the statewide and South Florida election results

A supermajority means a party controls at least two-thirds of the vote. In the House, the balance will now be 85-35, Currently, the balance is 78 Republican to 42 Democrats. In the Senate, the new balance will be 28-12, compared to the current balance of 23-17.

The advantage now gives Republicans the power to shut down debate, override rules that govern the lawmaking process, override a governor’s veto and limit the ability of Democrats to influence the debate and to pass legislation.

Florida State Senate

Turning from a purple state to a red state

The stunning results for the Republicans also mean that Florida, which has for 20 years performed as a purple state, was now decidedly red. And the midterm election penalty — traditionally suffered in American politics by the party of the president in power — became a midterm massacre from the top of the ballot down through the state legislative races.

In Miami-Dade that meant that several races that had been seen as either competitive or toss-ups, emerged as solid victories for Republicans.

In Senate District 36, Republican Alexis Calatayud edged out Democrat Janelle Perez in the open seat in Miami. Incumbent Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia, who two years ago won her seat by 34 votes in a race marked by a “ghost candidate” scandal that targeted the then-Democratic incumbent, easily won reelection against Democrat Raquel Pacheco.

In Senate District 30, which stretches from Broward County into Palm Beach County, Democrat Tina Polsky defeated Republican Bill Reicherter.

In the House District 105, the competitive open House seat to represent much of Miami-Dade County’s coastline, Republican Fabián Basabe and Democrat Jordan W. Leonard appeared headed to a recount.

In Tampa’s Senate District 14, veteran Democrat Janet Cruz was defeated by newcomer Jay Collins, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who was recruited by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

And in the Democratic stronghold of Tallahassee, Republicans upset Democrat Loranne Ausley with challenger Corey Simon, a Republican whom incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said would be the first Black Republican in the Senate since Reconstruction.

“Tonight is a monumental win in the fight to keep Florida free,’’ Passidomo said in a Tweet.

Florida State House

Upsetting incumbent Democrats

Republicans also had sweeping victories in the House of Representatives that not only allowed them to increase their majority but also score some symbolic wins. Perhaps the most notable GOP upset was the defeat of Orlando Democrat Carlos Guillermo Smith, the first openly gay member of the Florida Legislature and one of the most vocal and knowledgeable legislators in the caucus.

“Tonight was historic,” incoming House Speaker Paul Renner, a Palm Coast Republican, said in a statement. “Voters elected the largest Republican majority in [state House] history. This shows a decisive wave of support for our leadership. This election sent a clear signal to keep Florida on its path to success.”

Other Republicans were more blunt.

“At the end of the day when the autopsy of this election is performed we will learn it was a murder-suicide. DeSantis helped politically murder the Democrats as they committed electoral suicide,” said Anthony Pedicini, a political consultant who works with House Republican campaigns.

Democrats lamented the sheer inequity of resources, as both parties poured massive sums of money into at least 10 competitive races but Democrats were drastically outspent by Republicans.

Campaign finance records show the House Republican Campaign Committee raised $30 million and spent more than $24 million during the midterm election cycle. The Florida Senate Republican Campaign Committee spent another $47 million, and directed it primarily at defeating Democrats Perez, Cruz and Ausley.

“In the end, we were outspent almost four-to-one,’’ said Christian Ulvert, director of the Florida Senate Democrats campaign. “That’s just not sustainable. It takes money to win races and you don’t have to have more than the other side but you have to be competitive.”

He said the red wave of 2022 reminded him of the shellacking Democrats got in 2010, when the Tea Party movement ushered in then-Gov. Rick Scott in a narrow defeat over Democrat Alex Sink, and the House and Senate each secured a Republican supermajority.

Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Miami Democrat, said he found what he called one “bright spot.”

“Republicans expected to win all of these [especially SD-3, SD-14 and SD-38] Senate seats by a wide margin, especially with more than 3:1 spending ability, and DeSantis helping,’’ he said. “The Senate Dems kept it close and competitive.”

Early returns showed that the redistricting maps passed by legislators and approved by the courts gave Republicans nearly every one of the few competitive seats drawn by the GOP-controlled House and Senate.

The Florida Democratic Party, which had suspended voter registration efforts during the pandemic, never recovered and, with thousands of new voters moving to Florida, Republicans gained the new-voter advantage, giving their party a significant edge in voter registrations for the first time in Florida history.

Here is a summary of other South Florida races:

▪ House District 101: Hillary Cassel, a 41-year-old lawyer from Dania Beach, fended off Republican challenger Guy Silla in the race to represent the Democratic-leaning district that includes parts of Hollywood, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach and Davie. Cassel received 55% of the vote.

▪ House District 105: Incumbent Rep. Marie Woodson will return to Tallahassee in November after defeating Republican Vincent Parlatore with 70% of the vote in the district, which encompasses parts of Miramar, Pembroke Pines, West Park and Hollywood.

▪ House District 106: In the competitive open seat to represent much of Miami-Dade County’s coastline, Republican Fabián Basabe and Democrat Jordan W. Leonard appeared headed to a recount.

▪ House District 113: Republican Vicki Lopez, a former Lee County commissioner, defeated Democrat Alessandro “A.J. D’Amico in the neck-to-neck battle to represent a district, which includes the cities of Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Miami. Both candidates poured money into the competitive race as it was seen as a key seat for Democrats to hold in the Hispanic-heavy region of Miami-Dade, which is shifting to the right.

▪ House District 114: Republican incumbent Demi Bussatta Cabrera will return to Tallahassee for a second term after defeating Democratic rival Adam Beanna.

▪ House District 118: Republican incumbent Juan Fernandez-Barquin, a 39-year-old attorney, fended off Democratic rival Johnny Gonzalo Farias, and will now serve a third term to represent the district which covers parts of Miami-Dade County west of Florida’s Turnpike, including unincorporated Kendall, Perrine, Sunset and Westchester neighborhoods.

▪ House District 119: Republican Juan Carlos Porras, a 25-year-old former legislative aide to several state House members, trounced Democrat Gabriel Gonzalez in the race to succeed outgoing state Rep. Anthony Rodriguez. The newly-drawn district represents Southwest Miami-Dade east of Krome Avenue and stretches from Tamiami Trail to Monkey Jungle.

▪ House District 120: Incumbent Republican Jim Mooney defeated Democrat Adam Gentle in the race to represent the state’s southernmost House district, which includes the Florida Keys.

Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@miamiherald.com