OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A one-time Democratic stronghold in Florida has now gone red as the GOP continues to exert more control over what was once, in the not-too-distant past, considered a major swing state.
Republican Tom Carney managed to flip the Delray Beach mayor’s office from blue to red on Tuesday, Florida’s Voice reported. The area, which is about 50 miles north of Miami, went significantly for Biden in 2020, the outlet noted.
“Republican Tom Carney has been elected Mayor of Delray Beach! That’s ANOTHER flip for the @FloridaGOP tonight. Congrats Mayor-elect Carney! #KeepFloridaWinning,” the state GOP noted on the X platform after Carney’s win.
As outlined on Carney’s campaign website, his objectives are combatting overdevelopment and traffic congestion, advocating for public safety, championing fiscal responsibility, and striving for reductions in property taxes.
Additionally, Carney hopes to protect Delray Beach’s residents’ “unique quality of life” and make city hall more “user friendly.” During his campaign, he specifically focused on “gridlock, soaring prices and bloated government.”
In a separate report, Florida’s Voice noted that state Democratic efforts to win more local races also did not go well, as Republicans managed to win three of seven races targeted by the Florida Democratic Party, including a race in the competitive city of Clearwater.
“While there were many local races, eyes were focused on Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried’s ‘Take Back Local’ candidates,” the outlet reported, adding:
Four of the party’s candidates indeed won, defending blue areas. Those include George Oliver for Ocoee City Commission, Andy Thomson and Yvette Drucker in Boca Raton City Council, and Maria Rodriguez in Pembroke Pines.
However, the other three lost. Of those, one was defending a blue Clearwater City Council seat: Democrat-backed Mark Bunker, the incumbent, was unseated by Pinellas GOP-backed Ryan Cotton.
The other was Javante Scott for Clearwater City Council, seeking the open seat formerly held by a Democratic-backed candidate. There as well, Republicans flipped the seat, with the victory of Michael Mannino.
“The [Democrats] and [Fried] made a big deal about their ‘take back local’ team which was just defending their own democratic seats,” said Evan Power, chairman of the Florida GOP, the outlet reported. “Well we defeated 42% of them.”
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, well aware that Haiti is collapsing and preparing for an onslaught of migrants illegally making their way to his state, has vowed they won’t stay there for long.
The former 2024 GOP presidential contender told TheFirst TV’s Dana Loesch in an interview Wednesday that he’s ordered 250 Florida National Guard troops and state troopers to deploy along Florida’s coast in preparation for an influx of migrants from Haiti as that country disintegrates following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
DeSantis said since he can’t send the Haitians back to their own country, he’s contemplating sending them to Martha’s Vineyard, a deep-blue Massachusetts enclave that is home to some of the country’s elite, including former President Barack Obama who has a home there.
“The problem when you get to a situation like Florida is if they have people in our state and we wanted to fly them, say, back to Haiti, you have to get clearance to be able to do that. If you wanted to fly somebody to a South American country, wherever they’re from, it becomes a little bit more difficult because the federal government’s gonna tell the host countries not to accept our planes,” DeSantis said. “So we’ve gone through these iterations of what can we do as states.”
“I definitely think we can help put them back over the border if they come across in Texas and Arizona,” he continued. “So I’d be willing to help do that. I think that the states really have no other choice to do that at that point. It’s a little bit different for a maritime state like us. That’s why we’ve really got to get them before they reach the shores, and that’s why we’re working so hard to do that.”
“Although I will say this,” DeSantis added. “We do have our transport program, also, that’s going to be operational. So, uh, Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard,” he added.
WATCH:
DeSantis on what he may do with incoming Haitian illegal immigrants: “We do have our transport program, also, that’s going to be operational. So, uh, Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard." pic.twitter.com/3Q9AZEhFDq
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) March 21, 2024
