The Hill reports that Democrats in Florida are getting ready to select a new party chair. 

This comes as Florida Democrats, in the words of The Hill, have been dealing with "party turmoil."

Background

Things began to go south for Florida Democrats in 2021. In previous years, Florida Democrats had led Republicans in terms of voter registration. But, that changed in 2021, and now Republicans have a significant lead over Democrats.

The latest figures indicate that there are now over 400,000 more Republican voters registered in Florida than there are Democratic voters.

To help put things into perspective, Florida Democrats once had a 700,000 registered voter lead on Republicans. That was back in 2008 when former President Barack Obama managed to win the state of Florida.

Accordingly, since 2008, there has been a 1.1 million swing in favor of Republicans with regard to registered voters in Florida. That is a massive shift, and it is why Florida Democrats have been dealing with "party turmoil."

In recent years, there has been much disagreement among Florida Democrats about what their strategy ought to be. They have also faced financial difficulties. And, it does not appear as though things are getting any better for Florida Democrats anytime soon, as the 2022 midterm elections demonstrated that Republicans are in firm control of the state.

The latest

On Saturday, in Orlando, Florida, Democrat party leaders are expected to meet in order to select the new chairperson of the Florida Democratic Party.

Altogether, there are four individuals who are vying for the seat. But, it is believed that the race is really between two individuals: former state Sen. Annette Taddeo (D) and former state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D).

The two other candidates are progressive activist Carolina Ampudia and Broward County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Hoye.

Whoever does win the Florida Democratic Party chair will be taking over for Manny Diaz, who tendered his resignation last month. In doing so, he identified a number of problems that Florida Democrats are facing, including a lack of resources, volunteers, and strong messaging.

"A thankless job"

According to former Florida state senator Dwight Bullard, it's going to be a tough gig for whoever it is who gets the job.

"For whoever becomes the party chair, it’s not going to be about celebrity. It’s going to be a thankless job," Bullard said.

“It’s going to be probably one of the most difficult jobs they take on,” he added.