The Democratic Party has candidates in all 140 seats.

Tallahassee

Are there any signs of hope for Democrats seeking to retake control of the Florida Legislature this fall?

No. But they did field candidates in all 140 legislative seats this year, according to statistics. Candidates’ vetting to end on Friday. It was the first victory for Democrats since they lost power nearly 30 years ago, a major achievement for a party that has had trouble recruiting candidates.

“Democrats made history today in Florida,” Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said in a statement.

Democratic leaders, who have lost power in the state’s House and Senate since the 1990s, are seeking a more modest goal this year: holding on to the seats they have.

And, perhaps, they could also escape their absolute minority status in both chambers, which prevents them from taking procedural action.

This fall, the Democratic Party will face off against the increasingly popular Republican Party. Starting quantity exceeds In 2021, the Democrats won, and the party’s advantage is now close to 1 million.

Republican enthusiasm was reflected in the number of candidates who qualified on Friday. There will be more Republican legislative primaries on Aug. 20 than Democratic ones. Several of those races, including two in Tampa, feature candidates challenging Republican incumbents.

Evan Power, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, said it was a reflection of the party’s “energy.”

“I think we’re a little more conservative than we’ve been, and we’re trying to see where the pendulum lands,” Ball said.

The candidates on the ballot include some familiar faces from past elections. Republican Don Gaetz, who served as Senate President from 2012 to 2014, is also Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz is running again for the Panhandle seat. Former Democratic Congressman Alan GraysonHe ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016 and is currently running for a state Senate seat in Orlando.

Democrats are fielding candidates in every race, meaning no Republican can easily win reelection without facing voters. By contrast, Democrats won nine House seats and two Senate seats automatically this week without facing any opposition.

While Democratic leaders say they don’t expect to retake both the House and Senate, they do expect momentum from two ballot initiatives that will be before voters this November. One of the proposals would One bill would allow recreational marijuana and another would lift the state’s six-week ban on abortions.

“The upcoming vote will be more about the issues than the individuals,” said Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami.