Orlando is one of the largest and most diverse cities in Florida, with a population of over 2.6 million people in the metropolitan area. It is best known for its tourism industry, as it hosts some of the world’s most popular attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld. But Orlando is also a hub for education, health care, technology and entertainment, with many colleges, universities, hospitals and media outlets based in the city.

Orlando is located in Central Florida, which is often considered the swing region of the state. The political leanings of the people in and around Orlando vary depending on the area and the demographics. According to BestNeighborhood.org¹, Orlando tends to be slightly democratic based on voting results in recent elections. Compared to other nearby cities, Orlando has more republican voters. Compared to the nation as a whole, Orlando leans more democratic.

The map below shows the political leanings of people in and around Orlando. Darker red areas have relatively more Republican voters, dark blue areas vote mostly for Democrats compared to other cities in Florida, and areas in lighter shades or in light purple are areas where the vote is usually split between parties.

Some of the factors that influence the political preferences of Orlando residents are:

• Education: Highly educated populations with bachelor’s degrees or higher tend to vote for more liberal candidates. In the Orlando area, 35.08% of all adults have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher¹. Educated women are far less likely to vote for conservatives, and in Orlando women make up 51.22% of the population¹.
• Age: Older Americans tend to vote more conservatively. Members of the Boomer and Silent generations (born 1928-1964) more often vote for Republicans while GenX, Millennials (born 1965-1996) and younger generations consistently support Democrats. The median age in Orlando is 38.8¹, which is older than the national median age of 38.1.
• Diversity: Orlando is a racially and ethnically diverse city, with 41.3% of the population being white, 28% being Hispanic or Latino, 25% being black or African American, 3.4% being Asian and 2.3% being other races¹. Minority groups tend to favor Democrats over Republicans, especially among Hispanics and African Americans.
• Media: Orlando is part of the I-4 corridor, which stretches from Tampa Bay to Daytona Beach and includes some of the most populous counties in Florida. The I-4 corridor is home to several media markets that cover different political cultures and issues. According to The Washington Post², most of the state’s electorate lives in just four of those markets — South Florida around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the Orlando area, the Tampa Bay area, and the Jacksonville area.

Orlando is a political battleground that can decide the outcome of statewide and national elections. Across all types of political contests in Orlando, including state, local and presidential elections, races come within five percentage points 21% of the time¹. In 2016, Donald Trump won Florida by a narrow margin of 1.2%, but he lost Orange County (where Orlando is located) by 24.7%. In 2020, Joe Biden won Florida by a slightly larger margin of 3%, but he also lost Orange County by 23%.

Orlando’s political landscape is dynamic and complex, reflecting the diversity and growth of the city and its surroundings. As more people move to Central Florida from other parts of the country and the world, they bring their own political views and values with them. Orlando’s politics will continue to evolve and shape the future of Florida and the nation