The 2024 General Election concluded yesterday, and states across the country have been submitting their results! Significant races from across the country have already been called, but those from Florida were some of the first the be announced.
Results have been called for all Florida races and amendment measures from Election Day on Nov. 5. Read below for a breakdown of the races that FSU students should know about!
Presidential – Florida Electoral Votes
Florida expectedly cast all 30 of its electoral votes for Donald Trump. Florida has gone very red in the last few elections, moving away from its past swing state status, so it comes as no surprise to most that Florida ended up for Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Former President Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential race this morning, reaching the 270 electoral vote margin before Vice President Kamala Harris.
Senate Race
Following a red trend in Florida, the Senate race was overwhelmingly in favor of incumbent Senator Rick Scott. Scott, Republican, won his reelection campaign by 13 points to challenger Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. With this result, both Florida Senate seats continue to be held by Republicans.
House Races
Florida saw every Congressional seat have a race this election, as each term is only two years, requiring representatives to run every election. Florida has 28 Congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, and in 2024, 20 went to Republicans, and eight went to Democrats.
Florida State University and Tallahassee is located in Florida’s Second Congressional District, which saw Republican incumbent Neal Dunn defeat Democrat Yen Bailey by 23.4 points.
State Senate Results
The Florida State Senate is different than the Senate race listed above, as these state senators draft legislation for the state of Florida. The Florida Senate is comprised of 40 members, each representing an area of the state. Several of these seats were up for election this November.
As for the local Tallahassee and FSU area, District 3 was the race to watch. Republican incumbent Corey Simon defeated Democrat Daryl Parks by about 11 points. The Florida Senate maintains its Republican majority in the 2024 General Election.
State House Results
The Florida House of Representatives follows a similar format as the Florida Senate, with each of the 120 representatives representing a different part of the state. Most FSU students will fall into the districts of either District 8 or 9. In District 8, incumbent Democrat Gallop P. Franklin defeated Republican challenger Grace Glass by 44.1 points. In District 9, incumbent Democrat Allison Tant defeated Republican Spencer Brass by 13.98 points.
The Florida House of Representatives will continue to have a Republican supermajority after this election.
State Supreme Court Judges Retention
Florida State Supreme Court judges will appear on the ballot every so often to undergo a retention vote. The vote happens at least one year after they are first appointed in the closest general election to determine if they are to stay on the State Supreme Court. Two Florida Supreme Court Justices were up for the retention vote this November, both were appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Both Justices Meredith Sasso and Renatha Francis passed their retention vote with over 60 percent of Floridians voting yes on their retention. Interestingly, no judge has ever lost a retention vote in Florida.
Ballot Measures
Florida had six ballot measures appear on the 2024 general election ballot. Each of these is to determine if they should be added to the Florida Constitution, and each amendment appearing on the ballot needed 60 percent of votes in favor (yes) of the measure to pass.
The two amendments that gained the most publicity were Amendment 3, the legalization of recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4, the access to abortion. While both of these amendments received over 50 percent of votes, they did not reach the 60 percent threshold, meaning they did not pass. The same can be said for Amendment 1, partisan school board elections, and Amendment 6, repealing public financing for political campaigns, which also did not pass.
However, Amendment 2, the right to hunt and fish, and Amendment 5, adjusting property tax for inflation, both received over 60 percent of votes on each measure and passed. They will be added as amendments to the Florida Constitution.
Tallahassee City Commission Race, Seat 2
While smaller races like those for city governments often go unnoticed, they are still extremely important. The race for Tallahassee City Commission, Seat 2, went to a runoff after none of the candidates managed to receive 50 percent of the vote in August. The runoff saw incumbent Curtis Richardson defeat Dot Inman-Johnson with 50.78 percent of votes, a very close race.
For more detailed results of the 2024 General Election, you can consult your local supervisor of elections offices!
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