Former Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings said on NBC News that the state “changed overnight.”
She noted that the state elected its first black governor, Republican Byron Donald. Although Donald is not a member of her party, she said his election was “history and we are proud of it”.
She also said people didn’t expect Democrat Angie Nixon to be “a blip on the radar” in the Florida Senate race. However, Nickerson is closer than expected to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Ashley Moody, who NBC expects to win the race.
Florida also went through mid-decade redistricting, which Demings called “counterproductive.”
“What we’re seeing, I think everyone is noticing that Florida may be a red state, but tonight, it proved that Florida is a winnable state,” she said.