Connect with us

Florida

Kamala Harris campaign suggests Florida is in play: What polls say

Published

on

Kamala Harris campaign suggests Florida is in play: What polls say


Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is staying hopeful in its push to score an upset victory in Florida and capture the state’s 30 electoral votes in the November presidential election.

During a fundraiser in New York City on Wednesday, second gentleman Doug Emhoff told donors that Harris’ team is “going to see what we can do” in the Sunshine State, where Democrats lost to former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

“The map is wide-open, and we need the money to compete in seven and possibly eight states,” Emhoff said at the event in Brooklyn, per a report from ABC News correspondent Will McDuffie.

“I was just in Florida at the Villages and it was wild,” Emhoff added, referring to his campaign stop in Alachua County over the weekend. “It was way more people than we thought, and there was a lot of excitement, and we’re going to see what we can do down in Florida.”

Advertisement
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about Florida’s new six-week abortion ban during an event on May 1 in Jacksonville, Florida. Harris’ team has hinted that the Sunshine State may be in play for Democrats in…


Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Newsweek reached out to Harris’ campaign for further comment Wednesday night.

Florida has been regarded as a reliable state for Republicans in recent years under Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration. Democrats have won only five presidential elections in Florida since 1952—former President Barack Obama won the state in 2008 and 2012.

But with issues like abortion on the ballot this year in Florida, Democrats have kicked it up a notch. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison previously said that the party believes it “has a shot” at taking Florida and its 30 electoral votes, telling reporters this month, “I keep saying folks, they’re going to be surprised on election night about what happens in the state, that you can’t give up on Florida.”

According to polls, however, it is likely an uphill battle for Harris. Per FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages, Harris is down 3.6 percentage points to Trump (49.3 percent to 45.6 percent). President Joe Biden lost by 3.3 percentage points in Florida to Trump in 2020 despite winning the White House.

RealClearPolling gives the former president an even bigger lead, finding Trump up by 6 percentage points (49 percent to 43 percent). Pollster Nate Silver’s election forecast predicts that Trump has an 85.2 percent chance of winning Florida as of Wednesday.

Advertisement

There are signs that Republicans could slip, however. In a USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV survey conducted from August 7 to August 11, Trump was found to be ahead by just 5 percentage points (47 percent to 42 percent), his smallest lead in a month. Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power later called the poll “extremely alarming.”

“Fellow Conservative, it is our job to ensure Florida, Donald Trump’s home state, is LANDSLIDE for him in November,” Power wrote in a fundraising email in August.

Trump is also slipping among Florida women, a key voter bloc ahead of November that the former president has struggled to rally nationwide. In a Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab poll last month, Harris held a 10-point lead over Trump among female voters in Florida.

In a statement to Newsweek this month, Rachel Reisner, the GOP’s director of regional communications, dismissed any concerns over Florida flipping blue in the fall, saying, “Florida is Trump country.”

“In November, Florida voters will send a clear and resounding message: President Donald J. Trump is the only leader with a proven track record of making our nation prosperous and affordable,” Reisner said. “The movement to Make America Great Again is alive and growing, and it starts here in Florida.”

Advertisement



Source link

Florida

Rainy stretch continues in South Florida

Published

on

Rainy stretch continues in South Florida


South Florida is experiencing a prolonged stretch of wet weather as deep tropical moisture combines with a stalled frontal boundary across the region.

The result has been frequent showers, thunderstorms, periods of heavy rainfall, and localized flooding concerns from Broward to Miami-Dade and throughout the Keys.

The atmosphere is loaded with moisture, allowing storms to produce intense downpours in a short amount of time.

Some neighborhoods have already seen several inches of rain, with additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected through the end of the week.

Advertisement

Flood-prone streets and poor drainage areas remain especially vulnerable during the heaviest rainfall.

While the rain is helping ease drought conditions, it is also increasing the risk of flash flooding and travel delays.

South Florida is two weeks into its rainy season, when abundant heat and humidity combine to generate daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms.

Heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds are common features of this time of year.

The good news? Drier air will gradually filter into parts of the region heading into the weekend, allowing rain chances to slightly decrease. Until then, keep the umbrella handy and be prepared for sudden tropical downpours.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida

Published

on

Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida


NEWS


A man is in custody after deputies said he tried to kidnap a woman at a Wawa near Winter park. Per investigators, Matthew Seaberg approached the victim from behind, picked her up by the waist, and threw her into his truck.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino

Published

on

Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino


MIAMI — A new group of prospective jurors was questioned Tuesday in the trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino, who is charged in connection with a 2022 boat crash that killed a teenager in Miami-Dade County.

Leer en español

During jury selection in a Miami-Dade courtroom, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez asked potential jurors what they already knew about the case and whether they had recently seen or heard anything about it.

Several prospective jurors said they knew only basic details, including that a fatal boating crash occurred and that a teenage girl died. Others said they recalled media reports that alcohol may have been involved.

Advertisement

As questioning continued, some prospective jurors disclosed connections to schools and communities tied to the case.

Passengers aboard Pino’s boat included his wife, his teenage daughter and 11 of her friends, many of whom attended private schools in Miami-Dade County.

One prospective juror said they graduated from a local private school around the time of the crash and were familiar with some of the students involved.

Another said references to schools and witnesses brought back memories of seeing posts and articles about the incident shared on social media.

A third said their child participates in youth sports with students from schools connected to the case.

Advertisement

Investigators said the boat struck a channel marker while returning from an outing on Biscayne Bay. Seventeen-year-old Lourdes Academy student Lucy Fernandez drowned after the crash.

Tinkler Mendez also addressed concerns that a prospective juror had been viewing a news report about the case on a cellphone while waiting outside the courtroom.

Another prospective juror reported hearing the report but said it was not loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.

Tinkler Mendez reminded prospective jurors to avoid news coverage and social media discussions related to the case as jury selection continues.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending