Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Democratic Party primaries in Florida, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 27 - Nov. 3[2]
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Democratic Party primary elections were held in Florida on August 28, 2018, to select the party's candidates for Florida's 2018 elections. The primaries included elections for the U.S. Senate, all 27 of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, and state legislative elections.
The key primary on August 28 was the Democratic gubernatorial primary where Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum defeated former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, real estate investor Jeff Greene, and businessman Chris King. Florida Democrats last won a gubernatorial election in 1994. The 2018 election was rated a "toss-up."
Notable congressional Democratic primaries included those in the 5th District, the 9th District, and the 27th District.
The primaries in the 5th and 9th Districts featured challenges against incumbents Al Lawson and Darren Soto, respectively. Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown ran against Lawson, while former 9th District incumbent Alan Grayson challenged Soto. Both incumbents won.
In the 27th District primary was Bill Clinton-era Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala defeated state Rep. David Richardson and former Knight Foundation Director Matt Haggman. Shalala compete in a general election to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R).
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- Florida's 5th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Florida's 9th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Florida's 15th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Florida's 27th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Florida gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 28 Democratic primary)
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
U.S. House
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
State elections
Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial elections
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
- Not running
- Patrick Murphy - Former U.S. representative[4]
Attorney general election
Democrats
- Sean Shaw, state representative
[5] - Ryan Torrens[6]
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Florida
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Florida's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Florida revenue, 2011 to 2016[7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $1,343,221.47 | $4,999,889.58 | $6,343,111.05 |
| 2012 | $25,924,642.98 | $11,212,791.36 | $37,137,434.34 |
| 2013 | $1,312,071.70 | $4,567,353.13 | $5,879,424.83 |
| 2014 | $6,392,137.66 | $46,916,537.41 | $53,308,675.07 |
| 2015 | $1,135,185.65 | $6,515,287.34 | $7,650,472.99 |
| 2016 | $34,392,445.97 | $18,428,699.95 | $52,821,145.92 |
Florida compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Florida utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[9][10]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Florida, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Florida is divided between the Eastern and Central time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[11]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Florida, one must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a legal resident of Florida and the county in which he or she intends to vote. Pre-registration is available beginning at 16 years of age.[12][13]
Voters may retrieve registration applications at the following locations:[12]
- Local elections offices
- Public assistance agencies
- Disability services agencies
- Independent living centers
- Military recruitment offices
- Public libraries
- Drivers license office
- Tax collector's office
- The office of any entity authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to issue fishing, hunting, or trapping permits
A registration form is also available online. The form can be printed and submitted via mail.[13]
Click here to find your county Supervisor of Elections.
Automatic registration
Florida does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Florida has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Voters may also apply for or modify their voter registration status while renewing their driver's license through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ online renewal system here.
Same-day registration
Florida does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Florida, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
Florida does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "it is a 3rd degree felony to submit false information." [14]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[15] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The page Voter Information Lookup, run by the Florida Department of State, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Florida requires voters to present photo identification with a signature while voting.[16][17]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2024. Click here for the Florida Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- United States passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government, the state, a county, or a municipality
A voter who presents an ID without a signature must show a second form of identification that includes the voter’s signature.
Early voting
Florida permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote by mail in Florida. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting by mail.[18]
To vote by mail, an application must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the 12th day before the election. Election officials must mail the ballot out within 2 business days after a request, but no later than the 10th day before election day.[18]
A returned ballot must then be received by election officials by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.[18]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Florida heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Florida.
- Republicans held 16 of 27 U.S. House seats in Florida.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held six out of nine state executive positions. The other three positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
- The governor of Florida was Republican Rick Scott. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Florida State Legislature. They had a 22-16 majority in the state Senate and a 75-41 majority in the state House.
Trifecta status
- Florida was under Republican trifecta control since the governor was a Republican and both chambers of the Florida State Legislature were under Republican control.
2018 elections
- See also: Florida elections, 2018
Florida held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- One U.S. Senate seat
- 27 U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Three other state executive offices
- 20 out of 40 state Senate seats
- 120 state House seats
- Four of seven state Supreme Court seats
- Municipal elections in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Pinellas counties and the city of Jacksonville
Demographics
| Demographic data for Florida | ||
|---|---|---|
| Florida | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 20,244,914 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 53,625 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 76% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 16.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 23.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 86.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,507 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.8% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Florida. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2017, Florida's three largest cities were Jacksonville (pop. est. 860,000), Miami (pop. est. 430,000), and Tampa (pop. est. 360,000).[19][20]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Florida from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Florida Department of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Florida every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 |  Donald Trump |
49.0% | Hillary Clinton |
47.8% | 1.2% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
50.0% | Mitt Romney |
49.1% | 0.9% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
51.0% | John McCain |
48.2% | 2.8% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
52.10% | John Kerry |
47.09% | 5.01% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
48.847% | Al Gore |
48.838% | 0.009% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Florida from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Marco Rubio |
52.0% | Patrick Murphy |
44.3% | 7.7% |
| 2012 | Bill Nelson |
55.2% | Connie Mack |
42.2% | 13.0% |
| 2010 | Marco Rubio |
48.9% |  Charlie Crist |
29.7% | 19.2% |
| 2006 | Bill Nelson |
60.3% | Katherine Harris |
38.1% | 22.2% |
| 2004 | Mel Martinez |
49.4% | Betty Castor |
48.3% | 1.1% |
| 2000 | Bill Nelson |
51.0% | Bill McCollum |
46.2% | 4.8% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Florida.
| Election results (Governor/Lt. Governor), Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Rick Scott/Carlos Lopez-Cantera |
48.1% | Charlie Crist/Annette Taddeo-Goldstein |
47.1% | 1% |
| 2010 | Rick Scott/Jennifer Carroll |
48.9% | Alex Sink/Rod Smith |
47.7% | 1.2% |
| 2006 | Charlie Crist/Jeff Kottkamp |
52.2% | Jim Davis/Daryl Jones |
45.1% | 7.1% |
| 2002 | Jeb Bush/Frank Brogan |
56.0% | Bill McBride/Tom Rossin |
43.2% | 12.8% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Florida in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 17 |
62.9% | 10 |
37.0% | R+7 |
| 2014 | 17 |
62.9% | 10 |
37.0% | R+7 |
| 2012 | 17 |
62.9% | 10 |
37.0% | R+7 |
| 2010 | 19 |
76.0% | 6 |
24.0% | R+13 |
| 2008 | 15 |
60.0% | 10 |
40.0% | R+5 |
| 2006 | 16 |
64.0% | 9 |
36.0% | R+7 |
| 2004 | 18 |
66.7% | 7 |
33.3% | R+11 |
| 2002 | 17 |
66.7% | 8 |
33.3% | R+9 |
| 2000 | 15 |
57.9% | 8 |
42.1% | R+7 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
See also
| Federal primaries in Florida | State primaries in Florida | Florida state party apparatus | Florida voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Footnotes
- ↑ Counties could add additional early voting days from October 22 through October 26 and/or November 4.
- ↑ Counties could add additional early voting days from October 22 through October 26 and/or November 4.
- ↑ Politico, "Invitation to a primary? Doubts among Democrats bedevil Sen. Nelson against Scott in 2018," December 15, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Murphy won't rule out bid for Florida governor, with Jolly as running mate," April 23, 2018
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Sean Shaw for Attorney General?" October 25, 2017
- ↑ Sunshine State News, "Ashley Moody Jumps Into Florida Attorney General Race," June 2, 2017
- ↑ Florida Department of State—Division of Elections, "Campaign Finance," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican Party of Florida and Florida Democratic Party)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican Party of Florida and Democratic Executive Committee of Florida)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Closed Primary Election," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ Florida Secretary of State, "FAQ - Voting," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Florida Division of Elections, "National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Florida Division of Elections, "Register to Vote or Update your Information," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Florida Voter Registration Application Instructions and Form," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Election Day Voting," accessed July 22, 2024
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Florida History: Voter ID at the Polls," accessed July 22, 2024
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Florida Division of Elections, "Vote-by-Mail," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts - Florida," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ Florida Demographics, "Florida Cities by Population," accessed May 9, 2018
