The nation is once again turning its eyes to Florida — and, no, it has nothing to do with bath salts or Stand Your Ground.
On Tuesday, media outlets buzzed with the news that Republican David Jolly won the Florida District 13 U.S. House seat. District 13, according to the Washington Post, is a Gulf district west of Tampa. The Post called the election the “first major test of voter attitudes in 2014,” because Jolly’s main platform — and selling point, many say — was his promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
His opponent, 2010 gubernatorial nominee Democrat Alex Sink, told voters Obamacare should be preserved but fixed.
According to Washington Post writer Sean Sullivan, “A former lobbyist, Jolly will head to Congress to succeed his old boss, late-Rep. C.W. Bill Young. Young, a moderate known for steering federal dollars to the district, served for more than four decades and was practically political royalty there. He died last fall, opening the door for Democrats in a swing district that narrowly went for Obama in 2012.”
The race was closely watched from the beginning.
Whereas Sink, a seasoned Democratic politician and former Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida, had money to spend on the campaign, Jolly was just a lobbyist.
Republicans argue that Jolly’s win in District 13 against a “well-known, well-funded Democrat,” according to the Washington Post, should alert the nation that even voters in Democratic districts want Obamacare out. Jolly’s campaign and TV ads relied heavily on his opposition to Obamacare and his determination to repeal it.
On the other side, Democrats argue Jolly’s success isn’t the underdog story Republicans purport it to be.
“’In a special election with an electorate tilted heavily for Republicans, Democrat Alex Sink came closer to victory than any Democrat in decades — especially with 10 Republican outside groups spending $5 million in the race,’ read a memo put out by House Democrats after the loss,” the Post reported.
It all boils down to one fundamental question: Is the Florida special-election victory at the hands of Republicans indicative of what will happen during the midterm elections this November?
It’s possible.
“Elections have consequences,” Washington Post political analyst Chris Cillizza wrote. “Whether or not what happened Tuesday in Florida is a bellwether of anything, it will unnerve Democrats and energize Republicans. And, that matters.”
Democrats should be worried about this Republican win; that Jolly, a first-time candidate, beat Sink, who had both name recognition, a track record for getting votes — she lost to Scott in 2010 by a 1 percent margin — and money to burn is a big deal.
Jolly’s win is a small but significant victory for Republicans, and Democrats now have a reason to watch their backs.
[A version of this editorial ran on page 6 on 3/13/2014 under the headline “GOP takes Florida District 13: Democrats unnerved"]
