President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign said on Monday that it will aim to flip Florida in November, noting that it sees “a pathway to victory” in the Republican-dominated state.
Campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a memo first shared with NBC News that the Biden campaign has “multiple pathways” to securing 270 electoral votes, with Florida being one of them.
“Make no mistake: Florida is not an easy state to win, but it is a winnable one for President Biden, especially given Trump’s weak, cash-strapped campaign, and serious vulnerabilities within his coalition,” she stated.
Ms. Rodriguez said the Biden campaign has appointed three “seasoned” operatives to lead its efforts in Florida: Jasmine Burney Clark as state campaign manager, and Phillip Jerez and Jackie Lee as senior advisors.
“This new, extreme abortion ban — one that Donald Trump personally paved the way for — will now amount to a ban for the entire Southeast,” Ms. Rodriguez said.
“Women in need of reproductive care throughout the region now face a choice between putting their lives at risk or traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to get care,” she added.
Ms. Rodriguez referred to Florida as “Ground Zero for Trump’s MAGA Blueprint,” citing some “deeply unpopular legislation” that she said made it easier for criminals to carry guns and banned books in the state.
‘Opportunity’ With Nikki Haley’s Voters
Ms. Rodriguez also believes that President Biden has an opportunity with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s voters in Florida. She said that 155,000 Republican primary voters in Florida voted for Ms. Haley in a primary last month after she suspended her campaign.“Similar to other states, including those with exit polls, we fully expect that many of those voters will not vote for Trump and are winnable for President Biden this November,” Ms. Rodriguez stated.
“Our agenda, our coalition, and the unique dynamics this election presents make it clear: President Biden is in a stronger position to win Florida this cycle than he was in 2020,” she added.
Previous polls found that a solid majority of Ms. Haley’s voters did not identify themselves as Republicans. CNN exit polls conducted during the New Hampshire GOP Primary in January, where President Trump won against Ms. Haley with a margin of 54.4 to 43.2, found that 70 percent of Ms. Haley’s supporters identified as undeclared voters, while 27 percent were registered Republicans.
