By Florida Man News Network staff · Wed., Nov. 4, 2026
Florida voters re-elected Republicans to every statewide office Tuesday. One step down the ballot, they did something Democrats hadn't managed in years: they broke the Republican supermajority in the Florida House.
Democrats flipped at least 15 House seats, and as many as 16 on election-night counts, plus one state Senate seat. Republicans won 65 House seats to Democrats' 49 on election night, with six still uncalled. Democrats held 34 seats going in. (Florida Phoenix, Tampa Bay Times, WLRN)
A supermajority in the 120-member House takes 80 seats. Republicans walked in with 82. Even if they win every uncalled race, they can't get back to 80. (WLRN, Political Cortadito)
They did it with a fraction of the money.
The money gap
Through Oct. 29, Byron Donalds' campaign and his political committee, Friends of Byron Donalds, had taken in about $173.6 million and spent about $165.9 million. David Jolly's campaign and his committee, Florida 2026, had about $26.9 million in and $24.7 million out. That's more than 6 to 1 on both counts.
Spending by Florida candidates for governor, through Oct. 29 (raised / spent)
Byron Donalds campaign: $18,531,004.54 / $16,183,312.78
Friends of Byron Donalds: $155,098,718.39 / $149,670,614.11
Donalds total: $173,629,722.93 / $165,853,926.89
David Jolly campaign: $13,045,167.50 / $12,372,862.46
Florida 2026: $13,840,009.30 / $12,328,924.76
Jolly total: $26,885,176.80 / $24,701,787.22
Source: Florida Division of Elections | Seeking Rents research
Earlier in the race, Jolly said Donalds was "spending $100 million more than we are." (FOX 13) Jolly lost by about a point, roughly 100,000 votes. (WKMG News 6)
The party gap was worse. In the third quarter of 2025, the Republican Party of Florida raised nearly $6.3 million. The Florida Democratic Party raised less than $540,000. That's more than 10 to 1. (WUSF)
National Democrats mostly stayed away. As of mid-October, the Democratic Governors Association had put at least $10 million each into seven other governor's races. In Florida it announced $1 million for Jolly. (MultiState, Florida Phoenix)
"We did all of this without major national investment in Florida," Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said Tuesday night. (Florida Phoenix)
How they did it
Doors and phones instead of TV. Since the August primary, the party's coordinated campaign knocked on more than 1.2 million doors and made 5.25 million calls, Fried said. She credited that work for a nearly 20-point swing toward Democrats statewide compared with the 2022 midterms. (Florida Phoenix)
Central Florida did the heavy lifting. Democrats flipped seven legislative seats there alone, Florida Politics reported. (Florida Politics)
They took down a Senate leader. Maitland Mayor John Lowndes beat Sen. Jason Brodeur, the Senate's No. 2 Republican as president pro tempore, 56% to 44% in District 10. Supporters of Seminole County's rural boundary felt betrayed by Brodeur, and that helped Democrats pull off the upset. (WKMG News 6, Florida Politics)
They beat sitting Republicans, not just open seats. At least 10 GOP House incumbents were on track to lose, including Chad Johnson, Monique Miller (in recount range), Erika Booth, Rachel Plakon, Danny Alvarez, Meg Weinberg, Hillary Cassel, Fabián Basabe, Doug Bankson and Hilary Holley. (WLRN)
Two of those losses carried their own baggage. Cassel was re-elected as a Democrat in 2024 and then switched to the Republican Party. Basabe lost a civil trial over sexual harassment allegations this summer; he denies wrongdoing and is appealing. (WLRN) In Miami Beach, Democrat Lucia Báez-Geller beat Basabe, the AP projected. (CBS News Miami)
They built on the spring. In March, union organizer Brian Nathan flipped Senate District 14 by 408 votes, and Emily Gregory flipped House District 87 with a nearly 11-point swing. (Patch) Nathan held his seat Tuesday. Gregory's seat looked set to go back to Republican Jon Maples. (WLRN)
What breaking the supermajority changes
With two-thirds of a chamber, Republicans could act alone on major decisions, including overriding a governor's veto and bypassing legislative rules, House Democratic Leader-designate Christine Hunschofsky said. (WLRN) One rule they waived often: reading bills on three separate days, which let them rush bills to a final vote. (WUSF)
Democrats also get more leverage to block Republicans from placing constitutional amendments on the ballot. (Florida Politics) A legislative amendment needs a three-fifths vote, 72 of 120 House members. On election-night counts, Republicans top out at 71.
That matters in Donalds' first year. He'll govern with a House where Republicans can't run over Democrats on the rules anymore.
The Senate is still on the edge
A Senate supermajority takes 27 of 40 seats. On election night, Republicans had 22 seats and led in four uncalled races. Democrats had 13, with one seat empty. That seat, which Bryan Avila held, is waiting on a special election. (Florida Phoenix, WLRN) Whether Republicans keep two-thirds there may come down to recounts and that special election.
Where AIPAC's money went
AIPAC doesn't fund Florida House races. The legislative seats Democrats flipped Tuesday were won on local fights, candidate quality and turnout. At the federal level, its money was all over this state, and in both parties. Read our take: AIPAC Spent $104 Million on the Midterms. Its Biggest Bet Just Lost.
What the other side says
Republicans still won every statewide race and kept majorities in both chambers. Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power had pushed back all year on Democrats' supermajority talk. (WUSF) Tampa Bay's Republicans held strong, with 14 GOP lawmakers headed back to Tallahassee. (Tampa Bay Times) Republicans also look set to retake the House seat that includes Mar-a-Lago. (WLRN)
What to watch
Final counts in the six uncalled House races and Monique Miller's recount.
The four uncalled Senate races and the special election for the Avila seat. Those decide the Senate supermajority.
The 2027 session starts in March. Watch for the first time House Republicans try to waive the three-day reading rule.
Sources
Florida Politics: Central Florida Democrats help break supermajority
Spending table: Florida Division of Elections, compiled by Seeking Rents researchSpending by Florida candidates for governor, through Oct. 29 (raised / spent)
Byron Donalds campaign: $18,531,004.54 / $16,183,312.78
Friends of Byron Donalds: $155,098,718.39 / $149,670,614.11
Donalds total: $173,629,722.93 / $165,853,926.89
David Jolly campaign: $13,045,167.50 / $12,372,862.46
Florida 2026: $13,840,009.30 / $12,328,924.76
Jolly total: $26,885,176.80 / $24,701,787.22