The state of Florida has 29 electoral votes, making it the largest prize in the Southeast, and it has often served as the deciding factor in presidential races, such as the 2000 election when George W. Bush narrowly defeated Al Gore by carrying the state after a partial recount and controversial Supreme Court ruling that handed the election to Bush.

Recent polls in the Sunshine State show the 2020 race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden to be incredibly close, with Biden holding a narrow two-point lead over Trump, well within the margin of error.

But things could be about to change dramatically in Florida, with former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg announcing he will spend $100 million to help make sure Biden carries the state, according to the Washington Post:

“Bloomberg made the decision to focus his final election spending on Florida last week, after news reports that Trump had considered spending as much as $100 million of his own money in the final weeks of the campaign, Bloomberg’s advisers said. Presented with several options on how to make good on an earlier promise to help elect Biden, Bloomberg decided that a narrow focus on Florida was the best use of his money.”

Such an enormous expenditure in Florida could well tilt the state firmly into Biden’s column while also freeing up other campaign resources to be used in battlegrounds states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all of which show Biden leading with less than two months remaining until Election Day.

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) noted that Bloomberg’s infusion of cash — which will reportedly be spent on television and digital ads in English and Spanish — is notable and welcome news:

“If you have the ability to make sure that you are able to speak directly to all of these different communities and where they live then you are going a long way to securing the states for Biden in this election. I’m glad that Mike Bloomberg recognized this and is prepared to make an investment to make sure that every one of those communities will be aware of the importance of this election.”

If Biden is able to win Florida and two or three of the other battleground states, Trump would have no path to the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure a second term in office. Also, history suggests that Trump cannot possibly win without Florida, as no Republican has won the White House without carrying the state since Calvin Coolidge in 1924.

Featured Image Via CNN