Millions of Fla. NPA voters a sleeping giant
Richard Himmelstein is a reliable Florida voter, but he’s not a Democrat or a Republican. The 58-year-old Delray Beach resident is part of a growing universe of voters known as NPAs, for no party affiliation.
They are the sleeping giant in Florida politics.
Some NPAs are turned off by hyper-partisanship on both sides. Some believe in “the person, not the party,” and others simply neglected to mark a preference when they filled out a voter form (the state classifies such voters as NPA).
Whatever the reason, they could decide our future. Yet they are disenfranchised by an archaic closed primary system controlled by the creaky two major political parties, so their best chance to be heard is in November. There are so many of them now, nearly 4 million out of 14.4 million voters, that they can sway the outcome of marquee races for U.S. Senate and governor.
Neither Ron DeSantis nor Charlie Crist can win without them. There aren’t nearly enough Republicans or Democrats any more.
From his home in Delray, Himmelstein sent an open letter to DeSantis, speaking for himself and his wife Victoria.
“We applaud many of your economic policies and your decision to keep Florida open during COVID. You would have our votes going forward, except for your divisive rhetoric and lack of being forthright,” Himmelstein wrote. “Making the statement about Dr. Anthony Fauci that ‘Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac’ is not acceptable, and it’s dangerous.”
DeSantis made that remark on Aug. 24 at a “Keep Florida Free” rally in Seminole County, where NPA voters are a growing force. Supporters cheered loudly as DeSantis appeared to endorse physical violence against the nation’s 81-year-old infectious disease expert.
In his letter, Himmelstein also told DeSantis: “Not disclosing if you personally have had your booster for COVID is not showing good leadership (not open with your constituents). These two reasons make it impossible for us to vote for you in the coming election. We need positive leadership and compassion for our country to heal.”
It’s logical that an NPA voter who refused to align with either party is already turned off by excessively partisan rhetoric, and it follows that the same voter would be offended by a tone or style that’s hyper-partisan or confrontational — in other words, DeSantis’ calling card.
Another NPA voter, Larry Kapit of Coral Springs, told us he blames both Democratic and Republican administrations for America’s immigration crisis. But he said he won’t vote for DeSantis, and Donald Trump is part of the reason.
“We already had one bully in the White House for four years,” Kapit wrote to the Sun Sentinel. “We don’t need a similar personality in Florida — or possibly in the White House — again.”
These are just two examples. To be sure, there are NPAs who prefer DeSantis.
Vince Nowicki of St. Petersburg was one of six NPA voters who participated in a TV forum in Tampa on the public affairs program Florida This Week on PBS’ WEDU. The program is online, and it’s a revealing look at what NPAs think.
Nowicki told Florida This Week host Rob Lorei that DeSantis deserves credit for building a budget surplus and spending more on the environment.
“It’s who’s going to run the state better,” Nowicki said. “Governor DeSantis believes I can run my life better than the government can tell me how to run my life,” Nowicki said.
Celeste “Mona” Judge of Wesley Chapel said, “I’m on the fence.” She voiced misgivings with DeSantis and Crist over an abortion ban, attacks on critical race theory, a proposed “open carry” gun law and other issues.
She said Crist reminds her of President Joe Biden, “but I’m probably going to vote for him.”
No-party voters now outnumber one of the major parties in 25 of Florida’s 67 counties. Among the latest are Hillsborough, where NPAs outnumber Republicans, and Volusia, where they now outnumber Democrats.
Future likely candidates to join this trend are Monroe County in the Keys and Seminole County, just north of Orlando, where the two major parties are separated by fewer than 2,000 voters. Republicans are ahead of Democrats and the combination of NPAs and minor party voters are close behind.
Not surprisingly, the counties with the most NPA voters are the three most-populous — Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — with a total of 1.1 million NPAs. They are a potential huge political force — if they vote.
(Editor’s Note: If you’re an NPA voter, we want to hear from you. Send your thoughts and opinions to letters@sun-sentinel.com).