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The Republican Club of Miami Beach reopened its doors this Saturday after approximately 30 years of inactivity, during a relaunch event that brought together dozens of attendees at the restaurant Santorini by Georgios, featuring the presence of the Republican candidate for governor of Florida, Byron Donalds.
The club had closed three decades ago because the Democratic dominance in Miami Beach made its operation unviable. Its return reflects the profound political shift that Miami-Dade has experienced in recent years, a county that was for decades a stronghold of the Democratic Party.
Goran Cuk, vice president of the club, explained the purpose of the relaunch: "It's an opportunity to participate, have conversations, and connect with other voters."
The event included networking activities, celebration, and the Greek tradition of breaking plates, in an atmosphere that the organizers described as one of unity and party renewal.
The political backdrop is striking. According to the most recent voter registration data, Miami-Dade currently has 450,994 registered Republicans compared to 405,438 Democrats, a historic reversal from past decades. At the state level, Florida reports 5,545,284 Republicans versus 4,052,862 Democrats, a lead of nearly 1.5 million voters.
This historic shift in Miami-Dade accelerated with the 2024 presidential elections, when Trump won the county with 58% of the vote, becoming the first Republican candidate to do so since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
The Latino vote, and particularly the Cuban-American vote, was decisive in that outcome, with 68% support for Trump according to data from Florida International University.
Donalds, who has the explicit backing of Trump since February 2025, took advantage of the event to focus his message on the housing affordability crisis, the issue that dominates his campaign.
"We need to be efficient when it comes to building homes and roads. Government costs account for 30% of the expenses associated with constructing a new house: permits and delays in permits. All of this only serves to drive up housing prices, especially for young people trying to enter the market," the candidate stated.
Donalds acknowledged the economic pressure felt by residents of South Florida: "Yes, it's a bit more expensive, especially here in Miami Beach. It's a bit more expensive than it used to be."
The median price of homes in Miami reached $840,000 in April 2026, an increase of 14% compared to the previous year, and over 113,000 residents left the city in 2025 due to the rising cost of living.
In that context, the national unemployment rate rose to 4.7% in March, adding economic pressure on voters ahead of the elections.
Donalds comfortably leads the Republican gubernatorial primaries, with between 38% and 50% of voter intent according to recent polls, although in a general election scenario he is statistically tied with the Democrat David Jolly: 41.2% to 40.5%.
The Republican Party of Florida has already surpassed the Democrats by more than one million registered voters since 2024, a trend that the relaunch of the club in Miami Beach aims to solidify ahead of the elections in November.
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