How did Desantis win?

[Da2017]

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/florida-governor?mtrref=www.nytimes.com Explain this map. Gillium flipped Duval,Pinellas,Seminole, and St Lucie and ran reasonable margin in the blue counties. How did Desantis pull it off?

[Bernie Derangement Syndrome Haver]

He did a lot better than previous Republicans in rural areas, especially the Panhandle.

[Panda Express]

As I feared, the geriatrics that make up Florida are getting cold feet over the prospect of having a Black Man as governor and are coming home to Whitey

[Da2017]

He did a lot better than previous Republicans in rural areas, especially the Panhandle.

That explain's it. His performance had to be off the charts to offset Gillum's gain's.

[bagelman]

He did much better in Miami-Dade, as Gillium underpreformed Hillary.

[ajc0918]

He did much better in Miami-Dade, as Gillium underpreformed Hillary.

No democrat was going to outperform Hillary in Miami-Dade.

[Skye]

*Rural-urban divide intensifies*

[UWS]

Gillum was too corrupt and he was too socialist for Florida, a state that is increasingly becoming a red state.

[sg0508]

1) The late FBI potential probe
2) The state economy is in very good shape
3) His policies rumored a potential state income tax (good luck)
4) The race factor (unfortunately) may have played a bit of a factor up north
5) Florida has moved somewhat to the right in the last few years
6) Economic conservatives in the big three counties didn't like Gillum's economic proposals (also unrealistic)
7) He BADLY underperformed in Palm Beach and Miami Dade where he needed to clean up.

[sg0508]

In this state folks, start talking about liberal economic politicies in a state that attracts people to move here because of the perceived lower cost of living (although it's changed), and forget it.

[Tartarus Sauce]

Because Florida Democrats are cursed.

[Rookie Yinzer]

*Rural-urban divide intensifies*

[Tekken_Guy]

-He brought some Cuban votes back home to the GOP.
-Bad turnout in Dade and Broward
-Strong rural mobilization.
-Rick Scott’s coattails.
-The Gillum FBI investigation.
-Dade, Osceola, and Collier all moved rightward.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

FL is a no state income tax state and the R's hold supermajorities in the state assembly.  Gillum was a liberal. Graham could have come closer, we will never know.

[Del Tachi]

1) Gillum's depressed margins in Miami-Dade
2) DeSantis strength in the Panhandle (his had good margins here, but its still a relatively small % of the statewide vote)
3) DeSantis strength in SWFL (this is the real reason)

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Mass disenfranchisement, just like every other narrow Republican victory in America's Wang.

[Badger]

Gillum was too corrupt and he was too socialist for Florida, a state that is increasingly becoming a red state.

Arguably Scott was too corrupt or to right-wing for a State Hillary lost by only a couple points, but thanks for the contribution

[Reaganfan]

The rural numbers are much higher than Democrats expect. I think they honestly believe that rural America is like one person for every mile. It's not.

[America Needs R'hllor]

As I feared, the geriatrics that make up Florida are getting cold feet over the prospect of having a Black Man as governor and are coming home to Whitey

This. I'm glad this time they revealed their true skin by revealing an unpologetic racist.

[History505]

Had strong performance in panhandle.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Recounting and provisionals are still being counted

[Sumner 1868]

Since the turn of the millennium only three Democrats have won statewide in Florida - Bill Nelson, Alex Sink, and the Kenyan Muslim. I think we can safely say the FL GOP has a structural advantage that goes back two decades, and that Lawton Chiles 1994 reelection was one of the biggest flukes in American political history.

[IceSpear]

Racist Panhandle Hicks + Extremely weak performance in South Florida. Gillum had no excuse for doing worse than Charlie Crist there.

[Mr. Smith]

Since the turn of the millennium only three Democrats have won statewide in Florida - Bill Nelson, Alex Sink, and the Kenyan Muslim. I think we can safely say the FL GOP has a structural advantage that goes back two decades, and that Lawton Chiles 1994 reelection was one of the biggest flukes in American political history.

More like a grandfather clause.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

He did much better in Miami-Dade, as Gillium underpreformed Hillary.

No democrat was going to outperform Hillary in Miami-Dade.

The "socialist" tag hurt him amongst Cuban-Americans, who associate this with Castro.  This is true even as Miami Cubans (who are much more Republican than Tampa Cubans) are trending Democratic.