Biden campaign says it sees Florida as 'winnable' in 2024

Against all odds, Joe Biden’s campaign says it has a shot in Florida. And the issue of abortion is a big reason why.

Against all odds, Joe Biden’s campaign says it has a shot in Florida.

Donald Trump has won the state twice, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ near 20-point victory in 2022 seemed to solidify the state as a safe haven for Republicans. But Biden’s campaign says it has a pathway to victory there in November — built in large part on the state’s unique place in the abortion debate — and it plans to contrast the administration's policies with what it's calling the GOP's “toxic political agenda" there.

“Make no mistake: Florida is not an easy state to win, but it is a winnable one for President Biden, especially given Trump’s weak, cash-strapped campaign, and serious vulnerabilities within his coalition,” Julie Chávez Rodríguez, Biden’s campaign manager, wrote in a memo shared first with NBC News.

Between DeSantis’ historically large re-election win in the 2022 midterms and the fact that Republicans have quickly amassed a more than 800,000-person voter registration lead over Democrats, Florida has lost its long-held moniker as “the nation’s largest swing state” and is no longer perceived as being a heavily contested battleground state.

Biden’s team, however, believes that abortion, among other issues, gives it the ability to be more competitive in the state. On Monday, the state’s high court approved a ballot measure that would allow abortion up to 24 weeks, when there is viability outside the womb, and said Florida's current 15-week abortion ban is constitutional, which means that a newly passed six-week abortion ban can now be enacted.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/biden-campaign-florida-winnable-2024-rcna145863

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