Florida. A state of 29 electoral votes, 27 gerrymandered congressional districts, and where 1.7 million people are disenfranchised, including ¼ of the African-American vote, enough people to swing all recent statewide elections. Where Gov. Rick Scott pardoned less than 1,000 people in 2016. Where voter suppression runs rampant: Voter ID, absentee ballot nonsense, cutting early voting.
Florida’s electoral votes are guaranteed to grow to the nation’s 3rd largest prize after the 2020 Census.
In order to keep Team Blue’s chances of winning presidential contests in Florida, we must win the governorship in 2018. Why?
1. A democratic governor would veto grotesquely gerrymandered maps, greatly improving Team Blue’s ability to control the United States House of Representatives.
2. A democratic governor would pardon more people, making those million+ disenfranchised people voters, greatly improving the demographic situation.
3. A democratic governor would not allow for such voter suppression shenanigans to be present, giving future democratic candidates so much more of a chance.
4. The Florida Supreme Court allowed democracy to progress in 2000 after it decided Palm Beach County Canvassing Board vs. Harris and Gore vs. Harris against shill Fla. Sec. State Katherine Harris with the help of progressive judges. The Florida Supreme Court will also be the institution that draws the Florida legislature map for 2022-2032 given the Florida legislature continues its normal partisanship. The next governor of Florida will appoint 3 out of 7 justices. Let’s make those justices progressive so that we have fair elections and fair maps. If we elect a republican governor, expect to see more Bush v. Gore on a state scale and a forever rigged map.
In summary, the Florida 2018 Governor Election is the most important as Florida’s will be the state with the 3rd most electoral votes after 2020. Making sure that we keep a fighting chance of those 29+ electoral votes by ending voter suppression, disenfranchisement, court politics, and gerrymandering is a must and can only be done with a democratic governor.