All –

 

The election is finally over, at least in Florida that is.  As of this summary, multiple states are “too close to call”, leaving the outcome of several U.S. Senate races and the Presidential election in limbo.  Further, it appears likely that many lawsuits will be filed to challenge the election results in certain states.  Voter turnout neared record levels in nearly every state, and Florida was no exception. Over 11 million Floridians cast votes this cycle, surpassing 2016’s turnout.  Overall, Florida’s electric co-ops had a remarkably successful election cycle, with 98% of the ACRE supported state and federal candidates winning their races. 

 

Attached are the Congressional, Florida Senate and House spreadsheets showing the winners and if they received ACRE support.  Going forward, it will be important to continue our efforts in relationship building and educating elected officials about the electric industry and the uniqueness of electric cooperatives.

 

Federal

For once, Florida is not involved in any national level recounts.   As of now, it appears the party that will lead the United States Senate remains in flux. Georgia, North Carolina, and Alaska continue to count ballots where Republican candidates currently appear to be ahead.  One Georgia race and the North Carolina race have very narrow margins and a run-off will be required for the at least one of Georgia’s Senate seats (Due to a special election, both of Georgia’s Senate seats are up simultaneously).  These races will have a large bearing the final balance of power in the upper chamber. 

Democrats should maintain control of the House, albeit with a slimmer majority.  Moreover, Florida has five new Congressional members.  In North Florida, Kat Cammack will succeed Congressman Ted Yoho in CD-3, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez defeated Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in CD-26 covering the Florida Keys.  In addition, new Congressional members include: Scott Franklin who defeated incumbent Ross Spano in Central Florida’s CD-15; Byron Donalds will fill the Southwest Florida open seat CD-19, left vacant by Congressman F. Rooney; and Maria Elvira Salazar defeated Congresswoman Donna Shalala in CD-27, located in Southeast Florida. With the new members, Florida’s Congressional delegation now has 16 Republicans and 11 Democrats.

 

Florida Legislature

Republicans will keep majority control in both the House and Senate.  The House increased their majority from 73 to 78 members.  Three Democrat incumbents lost their re-election bids and two open seats changed parties; none of which are in co-op territories.  The Florida Senate may increase their majority from 23 to 24 members.  Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez is currently going through a recount with Republican challenger Ileana Garcia, and the outcome is still undetermined.  Today, this race is separated by only 18 votes out of over 214,000 cast.

 

Constitutional Amendments

There were 6 Amendments on the ballot this cycle and four of these amendments met the 60% threshold required to pass.  The “All Voters Vote” and the “Voter approval of Constitutional Amendments” did not reach the 60% threshold.  The following amendments passed:

 

The impacts from this election cycle will be seen as the Florida Legislature begins the process of redrawing all federal and state legislative districts to reflect the changes of population from the 2020 census.  All state and congressional legislators will face re-election in 2022, which is customary after the district maps are redrawn. 

 

Despite the challenges presented in this election cycle, Florida ACRE successfully supported many winning candidates.  Many thanks to everyone, particularly to our ACRE members, who helped make this a successful election cycle.  If you have any questions or would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mike or me.

 

Thank you,

 

Allison Carter

Director of Government Affairs

Florida Electric Cooperatives Association

2916 Apalachee Parkway

Tallahassee, Florida 32301

Office: 850-877-6166, ext. 2

Mobile: 850-567-0059

 

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