Florida Democrats have increased the party's share of the vote in two state special election victories.

On Tuesday night, RaShon Young and LaVon Bracy Davis won their elections for Florida's House of Representatives and Senate, respectively. The proportion of the vote they both received was more than what former vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris won in those seats in the November 2024 election.

Political experts who spoke to Newsweek were divided about what these results might mean for the Democratic Party's chances in the midterms next year, amid a broader pattern of electorally exceeding expectations so far this year.

"Although I wouldn't pop the champagne corks just yet if I were the Democrats, I would feel a bracing electoral wind at my back," said Thomas Whalen, an associate professor who teaches U.S. politics at Boston University, about the two Florida elections.

To some of his colleagues and constituents, state Rep. Cyrus Javadi has been voting like a Democrat for months.

Now the former Tillamook Republican has made it official.

Javadi announced Friday that he switched his registration to the majority party this week, ahead of a Sept. 4 deadline to do so in order to run as a Democrat in next year’s election.

“Being an elected leader has never been about party loyalty to me,” Javadi said in a statement. “It’s been about how I can best fight for our community and our state.”

The switch is partly a reflection of political reality. Javadi, a two-term lawmaker and dentist by trade, voted with Democrats on hot-button issues repeatedly during this year’s five-month legislative session.