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Escambia County, a Republican stronghold in Florida, flipped blue in a historic vote Tuesday night — the first time in ‘modern history.’
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Republican stronghold Escambia County, the westernmost and oldest county in the state of Florida, went blue in a historic flip Tuesday night.
Escambia had not voted for a Democrat for president since John F. Kennedy in 1960, even when its house district was held by a Democrat. Even Joe Biden’s 40% share in 2020 was seen as a symbolic victory.
The county has voted Republican in the last eight gubernatorial elections. The presidential vote went 58.96% for Donald Trump in 2024, 56.58% in 2020, and 57.6% in 2016. In the 2024 election for Florida House District 1, the county chose incumbent Republican Matt Gaetz by an enormous margin over Democrat Gay Valimont — 66% to 34%.
However, in the special election to replace Gaetz (who resigned after a brief nomination to Trump’s cabinet), Valimont ran again — and this time, she won the county.
Out of District 1’s four counties, Escambia was the only one where Valimont received the greater share of the vote.
Florida House District 6 also held an election Tuesday night. The Republican candidate, Sen. Randy Fine, won that race — and every county went red. Escambia was the only Florida county to come out blue on election night.
Florida Democrats lauded Tuesday as a positive sign for the party. While both of their candidates ultimately lost, the Florida Democratic Party released a statement emphasizing the narrowing margin between parties compared to the 2024 elections. They called Valimont the “first Democratic candidate in modern history to win Escambia County.”
In Tuesday’s election, Valimont closed the gap from a 28-point difference in 2024 to just 14.7 points.
“Florida Democrats just put the Republican Party on notice,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Patronis considered the Republican victory a sign that the Panhandle is firmly sticking with the GOP.
“Let it be known that this election is a reminder: the Florida Panhandle will forever be red, and it’ll forever be Trump country,” Patronis told his supporters at a celebration after the votes were counted.
