Trump wins overwhelming majority in Brevard against six former candidates still on ballot
Donald Trump faced six other Republican candidates in Tuesday's Florida presidential primary.
But, in reality, it was no contest, with none of the six other people on the ballot still in the race, and with Trump already having locked up enough convention delegates to secure the nomination before Tuesday.
Still, the election went on, with Trump — the former and, he hopes, future president — winning 82.16% of the vote in Brevard County. Local voter turnout was 23.67% of the 190,859 registered Republican eligible to vote.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who also was a former ambassador to the United Nations, finished second, with 12.96%. She was the final candidate to drop out of the race against Trump, and has not endorsed him.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has endorsed Trump, finished third in Brevard, with 3.57%.
These are the voting percentages in Brevard of the other candidates, who, like DeSantis and Haley, remained on the ballot under Florida Statute, because they did not submit a formal withdrawal by Dec. 12:
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: 0.80%
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy: 0.29%
Ryan Binkley, a business executive and pastor from Texas: 0.12%
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson: 0.10%
More: Nikki Haley suspends GOP presidential campaign, but where will her supporters go?
Statewide results were similar, with Trump at 81.19%, Haley at 13.86%, DeSantis at 3.68%, and the other four candidates at less than 1% apiece.
There was no Democratic primary in Florida on Tuesday because the Florida Democratic Party provided only one candidate nominee — President Joe Biden.
Eight other Florida counties have more registered Republicans than Brevard. But only one — Palm Beach, Trump's home county — had more Republicans going to the polls on Tuesday, according to data from the Florida Division of Elections.
“It has been a smooth day, with robust Election Day turnout, and no waiting for any voters," Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic said, as the 12 hours of in-person voting on Tuesday were winding down.
Brevard Republican Executive Committee Chair Rick Lacey said he was pleased with the GOP voter turnout in Brevard and pleased by Trump's margin of victory. He believes many of the votes cast for Haley were ones done by mail-in ballot before she dropped out of the race, and that a number of the votes for DeSantis amounted to "a tip of the hat to the governor," who is popular among Brevard Republicans.
Trump supporters out in force
Cocoa resident Connie Smith, a Republican precinct committeewoman, arrived at the polling place at Kiwanis Island Park on Merritt Island before polls opened. She waved at voters as she held American flags, as well as flags and signs supporting Trump.
“I got here this morning at 6:45, and there were already people here. It was fantastic,” Smith said Tuesday.
“Donald Trump is going to be our nominee, and he’s going to save America. We love him. He may be a little rough around the edges, but he gets the job done," Smith said. "We support his policies. His policies were so successful when he was in office. We’re concerned for America, but he will definitely close the border. And he’ll drill, baby, drill, which will get our energy prices down, which affects the production of all products, which brings inflation down.”
Lacey said Brevard Republican Executive Committee members were deployed to various large polling places around the county, in support of the Trump campaign. Among the locations were Indian Harbour Beach City Hall, Kiwanis Island Park, Viera Regional Community Center and Wickham Park in Melbourne. He said the party signed up a number of new volunteers at the polling places, in advance of the August local and state primaries and November general election.
Theresa Opitz of West Melbourne voted at Veterans Memorial Complex in West Melbourne because she said she wanted to do “everything I can to get Mr. Trump back in office.”
“This is the most important election in the history of the U.S.,” Opitz said. "If we don’t get Donald Trump into office, I might have to move to Panama.”
For some, it was happenstance that they cast their ballots on Tuesday.
Constance White of Melbourne just happened to be outside the Wickham Park Community Center in Melbourne when she realized it was a polling location. She wasn’t aware Tuesday was the primary election, but once she found out, she planned to vote.
“We need other people to know, if they are as frustrated as I am with the candidates, that there is an option. We can speak out, and they will hear us if we stand together," White said. "But if everyone just goes: 'Oh, well, this is all there is,' then no. Change does not happen by sitting around complaining. You have to get off your butt and do something.”
Bobanic said there were 58 "provisional ballots" submitted by voters who elections officials believe were non-Republicans who wanted to vote in the presidential preference primary. Those ballots are set aside in special sealed envelopes. If it is determined by a three-member Canvassing Board that they are not registered Republicans, the ballots they cast would not count, because Florida is a "closed-primary state," where only registered Republicans can vote in a Republican primary.
In Florida, Trump won in all 67 counties, getting anywhere from 95.72% of the vote in Baker County to 72.78% in Leon County.
Florida was one of five states holding presidential primaries on Tuesday.
The others were Arizona, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio. Trump received 75% to 81% of the vote in each of those states, while Biden received 83% to 92% of the vote in those states.
Even before Tuesday's voting, Biden and Trump amassed enough delegates to clinch their party's nomination.
Trump had 1,273, with 1,215 needed for the Republican nomination. He increased his total to 1,623 after Tuesday's primaries.
Biden had 2,121, with 1,968 needed for the Democratic nomination. He increased his total to 2,488 after Tuesday's primaries.
Michelle Spitzer is a trending reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at [email protected], on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Trump wins Brevard, with over 82% of vote against six former candidates
