Red. Deep, unmistakable red. If you were looking for a political "purple" hue in Southwest Florida this past November, you basically wasted your time. The Lee County election results 2024 didn't just lean one way; they slammed the door shut on any idea that the region is a swing territory.
Donald Trump carried the county with a massive 63.62% of the vote. That is 250,522 individual ballots cast for him, compared to 139,084 for Kamala Harris. Honestly, seeing those numbers side-by-side tells the story better than any talking head on cable news ever could. It wasn't a squeaker. It was a landslide.
You’ve got to look at the turnout to understand the gravity of this. We are talking about 80.83% of registered voters showing up. In a world where people barely show up for their own kids' piano recitals, having eight out of ten people cast a ballot is kind of insane. It shows that people in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Lehigh Acres were fired up. They didn't just stay home and complain on Facebook; they actually got in line or mailed those ballots in.
The Senate Race and the "Scott" Factor
Rick Scott has always had a complicated relationship with Florida voters, but in Lee County, he’s basically a hometown hero. He outperformed the top of the ticket here. While Trump grabbed about 63%, Scott secured 66.24% in his race against Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Why the gap?
Maybe it’s the incumbency. Maybe it’s just the fact that Scott has been a fixture in Florida politics for so long that he’s part of the furniture now. He took home 255,340 votes in Lee. His opponent, Mucarsel-Powell, finished with 125,524. That’s a gap of over 130,000 votes. If you're a Democrat running for statewide office, those are the kinds of numbers that keep you up at night staring at the ceiling.
Down-Ballot Dominance: Not Just the Big Names
It's easy to get distracted by the presidential drama, but the real "engine room" of the county is found in the local races. Take Byron Donalds, for instance. He’s a frequent face on national news, but he’s "our" guy to a lot of people in District 19. He crushed it with 65.57% of the vote.
His win wasn't a surprise.
But the sheer margin—206,846 votes to Kari Lerner's 108,611—is a loud signal that his brand of conservatism is exactly what the local base wants. Over in District 17, Greg Steube followed a similar script, pulling in 65.58% against Manny Lopez. It’s almost spooky how consistent these percentages were across the board.
State House and Local Seats
- Tiffany Esposito (District 77): Pulled in 63.92%.
- Mike Giallombardo (District 79): A whopping 68.85%.
- Jenna Persons-Mulicka (District 78): Won with 59.90%.
- Adam Botana (District 80): Secured 68.51%.
Notice a pattern? Nobody on the Republican side was really sweating. Even the School Board races, which are technically nonpartisan, felt the heat of the political climate. Vanessa Chaviano won the District 7 seat with 69.1% of the vote. People wanted a specific type of leadership, and they voted for it in every single category.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Results
A lot of outsiders look at these numbers and assume Lee County is just a monolith of retirees. That’s a lazy take. Honestly, it’s much more nuanced.
You’ve got a massive influx of new residents who moved here specifically because of the state's political climate over the last four years. Hurricane Ian recovery is still a huge deal here, too. Voters weren't just thinking about national "culture wars"; they were thinking about insurance premiums, rebuilding permits, and who they trust to keep the economy from tanking.
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The "hidden" story is the Vote-by-Mail vs. Early Voting split. Republicans in Lee County have traditionally been skeptical of mail-in ballots lately, but the 2024 data shows they are getting over it. Trump got 88,213 votes via mail, but a staggering 118,152 through early in-person voting. Democrats, meanwhile, relied heavily on mail-in ballots (77,132) compared to their early voting showing (42,993).
The "School Board" Shift
The School District of Lee County had some interesting dynamics. Bill Ribble won his District 3 seat in the primary with 50.4%, narrowly avoiding a runoff. But in the general, Vanessa Chaviano’s massive win (207,300 votes) showed that the "parental rights" movement still has a ton of juice in Southwest Florida.
People are paying attention to the school board more than they used to. It's not just about budgets and buses anymore; it's a front-line battleground for what kids are learning. The results suggest the majority of Lee County parents—or at least the ones who vote—want a conservative-leaning oversight of the education system.
Actionable Steps for the Next Cycle
If you’re looking at these results and wondering what happens next, don’t just wait for 2028. The machinery is already moving for the midterms and local municipal elections.
Verify your registration status now. Even if you voted in 2024, Florida laws regarding mail-in ballot requests have changed. You have to renew your request for a mail-in ballot after every general election cycle. If you want a ballot sent to your house in 2026, you basically have to ask for it again.
Watch the County Commission. With Mike Greenwell and David Mulicka winning their seats, the board has a very specific vision for growth and development. If you care about how your neighborhood is being paved or protected from the next storm, these are the meetings you need to attend.
Get involved in the local parties. Whether you’re thrilled or gutted by these results, the "Lee County election results 2024" show that organized efforts work. The Republican ground game was clearly superior this time around. If the Democrats want to close a 28-point gap, they can't just start working in October.
Check the Lee County Supervisor of Elections website regularly for updates on new precinct boundaries or changes in polling locations. Staying informed is the only way to make sure these numbers represent you next time.