Florida

Florida, a constituent state of the United States, joined the Union as the 27th state on 3 March 1845 and is situated in the southeastern region of the country.

In the 1848 presidential election, Zachary Taylor, a candidate from the Whig Party, won the presidency. This marked the last time a candidate from a party other than the Republicans or Democrats won the presidency.

Florida did not participate in the 1864 presidential election due to the Civil War. From Reconstruction until the mid-20th century, the state mostly supported Democratic candidates but began shifting towards Republicans starting in 1952.

The Sunshine State's population has drastically increased, making it a key battleground in elections. After World War II, Florida's electoral votes increased from eight to 29 by the 2010s.

In the 2020 Census, Florida retained 29 electoral votes. While New York lost one electoral vote, Florida did not surpass it in electoral votes, remaining behind California and Texas in the number of electoral votes.

Florida's increased diversity, due in part to an influx of Cubans, retirees, theme park workers near Orlando, and other groups, has indeed made it a crucial battleground state compared to other southern states.

The 2000 presidential election was famously contentious, with the outcome determined by a narrow margin and a controversial recount in Florida.

The Republican Party has been successful in Florida in recent elections. Donald Trump won Florida in both 2016 and 2020; in 2020, it was the only battleground state where he increased his winning margin from 1.2% in 2016 to 3.3% in 2020.