Party Congratulates New Democratic Mayor of Bonita Springs!

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Last night, in the heavily Republican city of Bonita Springs, the people elected the Democratic challenger over an incumbent mayor by an overwhelming margin. Though more than 50% of the voters in the city are registered Republicans, Democrat Ben Nelson, Jr. won 63%-37% in relatively high (34%) turnout, run-off election.

"The Florida Democratic Party congratulates Ben Nelson on his impressive win and wishes him the best as he leads the city of Bonita Springs through this Republican recession," Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen L. Thurman said. "Florida voters continue to vote for real change, and Democrats are winning, even in the most traditionally Republican areas of the state."

Nelson's win follows other recent Democratic victories in conservative Southwest Florida. In November, Democrats defeated an incumbent Cape Coral city councilmember by almost 20 points. A hat trick in Venice, where almost two-thirds of the voters are Republicans, prompted the Sarasota Herald Tribune to proclaim: "Democrats continue to chalk up surprising victories in Sarasota County, further eroding the area's reputation as a Republican stronghold." [Sarasota Herald Tribune, 11/9/07]

"The Democratic tide rolled into the most unlikely of places: Venice... Although Democrats have been riding a two-year wave that has brought them electoral success in northern Sarasota County, Venice and the rest of South County always presented a more daunting challenge," the Herald Tribune noted, following three Democrats' 30-point victories over incumbent Republican city council members.

On the other coast of the state in February, former Cocoa Beach City Commissioner Tony Sasso won the House District 32 special election, despite being outspent by the Republican more than two-to-one. In less than two years, Democrats have picked up nine State House seats and countless municipal offices, among other significant electoral gains.