Florida Republicans are growing increasingly concerned about the upcoming midterm elections, with some comparing the current political climate to the 2018 midterms, when Democrats gained significant ground in the U.S. House of Representatives. Former Florida GOP Representative Carlos Curbelo noted that many of his former colleagues are preparing for a tough election season, recalling how Democrats flipped 41 House seats in 2018. He expressed cautious optimism about Republican Representative Byron Donalds' chances against David Jolly, a former Republican who switched to the Democratic Party. Curbelo said the race has become "more competitive than people could have anticipated just a few months ago." Republican state Senator Don Gaetz, father of disgraced former Representative Matt Gaetz, warned that "anybody who is on the ballot ought to be concerned if they have a Democratic opponent." A Republican county chair, speaking anonymously, described the party's current situation as "not on life support, but hemorrhaging," raising questions about whether the GOP should take immediate action to reverse the decline or wait until the situation worsens. The Republican National Committee (RNC) has pushed back against concerns about the party's registration advantage, with spokeswoman Delanie Bomar stating, "Anyone who thinks Republicans' 1.5 million registration advantage means nothing should go back to second grade to learn how to count." Meanwhile, the Cook Political Report recently adjusted its rating of the Florida governor's race from "solid" Republican to "likely" Republican, noting that Democrats have a strong ticket with Jolly and his running mate, former Democratic Representative Gwen Graham. Florida Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar has criticized President Trump’s mass deportation program in a campaign commercial, stating, "Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far." She also told Trump that "the same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today." A poll from June by then-Democratic House candidate Alex Vindman's campaign showed Trump's favorability in Florida had dropped 10 percentage points since January, with 46% of respondents viewing him favorably and 52% unfavorably. Another survey by St. Pete Polls for Florida Politics found both the governor's race and the Senate contest between Republican Senator Ashley Moody and Democratic state Representative Angie Nixon were essentially tied. Donalds, who has raised nearly $121 million in campaign funds, attributed the current poll numbers to "the overall national environment," expressing confidence that Florida voters would support the GOP in November. He said, "My belief is that they're going to choose the same direction, the same kind of common sense this November." However, five unidentified Republican operatives expressed concern if Jolly raised just $20 million, noting the "big fear is that a weird tech bro" might decide to back him. They added that "the Democratic megadonors are more focused on the federal level."