Biden campaign chair indicates Florida is not a battleground state in 2024

While speaking to John Heilemann, Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon expressed the view that North Carolina is a battleground state, but Florida is not.

North Carolina was solid red in presidential elections from 1980 through 2004 before going to Obama in 2008. But the state has since voted for Republican presidential candidates from 2012 through 2020.

'Florida is not in play in 2024.'

The Sunshine State has previously been a swing state during presidential contests. It went to Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, then to Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and then to Republican Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

"For decades, Florida was the largest, most-important battleground state in presidential elections. Today, even the Biden campaign acknowledges that those days are over. Florida is not in play in 2024," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted.

DeSantis decisively won re-election in 2022 by nearly 20%. He launched a Republican presidential primary bid in 2023 but ultimately dropped out and endorsed Trump in early 2024 after a lackluster performance in the Iowa caucuses.

"Florida is in play for President Biden and Democrats up and down the ballot," Biden campaign battleground states director Dan Kanninen said in a statement, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

"We're not naive about the challenges ahead, but we're building the foundation of Democratic success, not just for this cycle, but for the years and decades to come," Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said in a statement, according to the outlet. "Don't count Florida out."

Later this week, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are slated to face off for their first debate of the 2024 election cycle. The debate will be moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta, Georgia.

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