Not Sapna Patel-Wheeler

After days of reading assessments of why Florida didn’t turn blue, and while teaching a graduate class analyzing electoral dynamics, a few things are clear. Florida had an incredibly strong, diverse slate of Democratic candidates. And we’ve had outstanding candidates for years. But you can have the BEST candidate for the moment and still face nearly impossible odds when the political infrastructure is broken. No sustained voter registration program, no serious statewide turnout operation, little investment, and no united coalition of elected Democrats supporting those willing to run. Add voter suppression laws and partisan election officials, and the obstacles are enormous. Georgia and Texas didn’t become competitive overnight. It took YEARS of organizing, investment, and national attention. Let’s recognize the extraordinary people who step up to run under these conditions. Every candidate, win or lose, builds the foundation for the next. Many of us, people you don’t know or hear about, have been quietly building that strategy behind the scenes. But it has to be better coordinated. 2028 is an enormous opportunity for Florida. But winning requires more than great candidates. It requires building the political infrastructure to get them across the finish line. We can do this, but we need to think bigger, learn from GA and TX, and work together. news.wfsu.org/state-news/202…