TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Malcolm Kenyatta is the vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He has been in the role for less than a year. But he has visited Florida several times to help revitalize the Florida Democratic Party.
“I have lived in no other state more than Florida. The reason is simple: I believe in Florida,” Kenyatta said.
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Kenyatta is working to help Florida Democrats catch up to the state Republican Party, which has an advantage in all three branches of state government plus 1.4 million Republican registered voters.
“I think Democrats have to do the hard work of building strong, resilient infrastructure on the ground, which is what we’re working on,” Kenyatta said.
From July to October, the Florida Republican Party raised $6.2 million to support voter registration drives and endorsed candidates. During the same period, the state Democratic Party raised about $540,000.
“At the DNC, we used to invest 8% of our budget in investing in state parties, especially states that need to be built, and now it’s 24%,” Kenyatta said.
Democrats are also working to send a clearer message to voters about what they stand for ahead of the midterm elections. Kenyatta said it was three words: “Make life better.”
“What we believe as Democrats is that the wealthiest people in this country should pay their fair share and that health care should not be cut,” Kenyatta said.
Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power is confident the party will maintain strong support in the state.
“What Florida State does is win, and what we need to do is continue to lead the way. What we’re doing here in Florida should be contagious to the rest of Florida,” Power said.
Republican leaders also considered additional Democratic funding to support efforts in Florida.
“For the first time, the RNC has a significant financial lead over the DNC. So the money the RNC wastes coming to Florida is good for the country,” Power said.
As for the Democratic Party, Kenyatta said the focus will also be on securing candidates for local elections.
