How many times will Gov. DeSantis use ‘woke’ in 2024? Let’s start counting.

Every new year brings about people and places to watch. But numbers can tell the story, too, and here are some that will count in 2024.

1/15/24

Iowa’s Republican presidential caucus is Jan. 15, six days after the opening of Florida’s 2024 legislative session. That first-in-the-nation caucus will be followed by Republican presidential primaries in New Hampshire (Jan. 23), Nevada (Feb. 8) and South Carolina (Feb. 24). Gov. Ron DeSantis’ results in these early presidential primaries could shape the future of not only his fledgling presidential campaign but his ability to shape the agenda in Tallahassee. A weak showing for the termed-out governor could reduce his standing and clout with the Legislature and his influence on down-ballot elections this year. Former President Donald Trump is currently leading the GOP presidential pack in Florida with nearly 60% of the vote, according to an average from the polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight. The governor is backed for president by only one in five Republicans in his own state. By the time Florida’s Republican presidential primary rolls around on March 19, the session will be over, and so could DeSantis’ presidential run, or even his nearly unchecked power in Tallahassee.

345,867

Speaking of DeSantis, that’s the number of times he used the word “woke” in 2023. OK. OK. We’re just kidding. We didn’t actually count them all up, but it sure felt like he was hitting us with it in every other sentence. Will “woke” remain the governor’s No. 1 buzz word in 2023?

128

In 2019, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov tallied 128 points, the team record in a single season. He’s off to a blazing start to the current season, scoring 27 goals and adding 36 assists for 63 total points through Wednesday. With more than half of the season left to play, the talented Russian could break his own team record — and possibly lead the league in points this season. The regular season ends in April. Stay tuned.

3,362

Number of book bans in the U.S. during the 2022-23 school year as recorded by PEN America, an increase of 33% from the year before. About 1,400 instances (accounting for more than 40% of the total) occurred in Florida. Free speech activists say the numbers are certainly higher, as many districts are removing books unilaterally through administrative edicts rather than subjecting book challenges to a formal hearing process. Parental and civic groups opposed to these bans have pushed back against what PEN America describes as “an evolving movement to exert ideological control over public education” by restricting “teaching about topics such as race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities.” Does this trend line of censorship in Florida continue or has the movement run its course?

697,922

Republicans in Florida reached a milestone in 2021, outnumbering registered Florida Democrats for the first time in state history. Those numbers helped DeSantis coast to reelection in 2022 by nearly a 20-point margin, and also fueled down-ballot losses for Democrats that gave Republicans supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature. The Republican gains have come not only from conservative transplants moving to the Sunshine State, but as Democrats have lost registered voters in Florida. As of Nov. 30, registered Republicans (5,158,753) outnumbered registered Democrats (4,460,831) by 697,922 voters, with independents making up another 3.6 million. Can Democrats close the gap or make more inroads with independents or is Florida effectively become a red state?

$569,782,845

That’s the amount (as of August 2022) that the state held in trust from monies collected by Hillsborough County’s 2018 transportation tax, which was eventually invalidated by the courts. DeSantis has proposed that the money be spent on transportation projects in Hillsborough rather than being refunded to taxpayers, as some had proposed. The governor’s 2024-25 budget calls for the state to transfer the funds to the Florida Department of Transportation, which would craft a list of eligible projects. Officials in Hillsborough hope to work with the department on a priority list after years of the money sitting in limbo.

361

St. Petersburg still holds the Guinness World Record for registering the most consecutive days of sunshine — 768 — between Feb. 9, 1967, and March 17, 1969. The city averages 361 days a year of at least some sunshine. And isn’t it glorious, especially when our friends and relatives are buried in a blizzard in some northern states.

891,523

That’s how many registered voters in Florida are required to sign a petition to put a proposed state constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot. The group proposing an amendment that would protect abortion access in Florida says it is “confident” it has enough signatures to qualify. As of late December, election officials had verified 833,729 petitions submitted by Floridians Protecting Freedom, and the group expected to surpass the number required by the start of 2024. Petitions must also pass scrutiny by the Florida Supreme Court, and receive at least 60% approval by Florida voters to take effect. More than 1 million Florida voters have also signed petitions to include a ballot amendment in 2024 that would allow recreational marijuana use for people 21 and older. The high court has yet to rule in either case.

20

In its early outlook, the consortium Tropical Storm Risk predicts that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will be “very active,” about 30% above the 30-year norm, with 20 named storms, including nine hurricanes, four of them Category 3 or higher. The consortium anticipates that sea surface temperatures will be warmer than average, leading to enhanced storm development. The group’s December outlook follows a 2023 Atlantic hurricane season that saw above-average activity, with 20 named storms, the fourth-most named storms in a year since 1950, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Forecasters say the coming year could bring not only warmer seas but a drop in wind sheer. NOAA will issue its outlook in May in advance of the next hurricane season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30.

25

The number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives (out of the 435 total) that the Cook Political Report lists as toss-ups in the 2024 elections (None are in Florida). That amounts to only 6% of all House seats up for election this year. The number reflects how few races for a gerrymandered House can determine the nation’s balance of power. Indeed, more House members (35) have announced they would retire or seek other offices this year than the number who face a toss-up race. Of the most competitive races, Republicans hold 14 seats; Democrats hold 10 and one is vacant. In other words, anything can happen in an election where five seats could swing control of the House.

6

Unlike the old days, Florida is not likely to decide the presidential election, but there are six states that will. The Cook Political Report lists Arizona (11 electoral votes), Georgia (16), Michigan (15), Nevada (6), Pennsylvania (19) and Wisconsin (10) as the only toss-up states. Remember when Florida was the state that mattered in presidential races, when a 537-vote margin in the Sunshine State determined who would be the next president of the United States? Florida’s 30 electoral votes will likely go right to the candidate with an R beside his (her?) name.

$24

Tampa’s first women’s professional soccer team kicks off its inaugural season this year, and early ticket sales will telegraph the popularity of the new franchise and Tampa’s continued urban growth. The team, Tampa Bay Sun FC, is the bay area’s first top-tier women’s professional soccer team. The club, expected to begin play in August, is now accepting seat deposits ($24 each) for priority sales before season tickets are available to the general public. The team will play temporarily in a renovated stadium at Blake High School, just north of downtown on the western bank of the Hillsborough River. Early ticket sales will provide a barometer for the franchise. Strong crowds could also fuel further interest in Tampa’s growing West River neighborhood.

365,205

The number of residents Florida added in 2023, second only to Texas, which added 473,453 people, the largest numeric change in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida was the second fastest-growing state in the nation, inching upward at 1.6%, only narrowly trailing South Carolina’s 1.7% growth. But can the Sunshine State keep attracting 1,000 new people a day, especially with high commuting costs, a lack of affordable housing, rising premiums for property and auto insurance and the threat of more extreme weather and other impacts of climate change? The Census Bureau reported in December that population trends are returning to “pre-pandemic norms.” More states gained population in 2023, and growth is no longer so heavily concentrated in Florida and three other southern states.

3,228

We all know how dangerous Florida’s roads (and careless, distracted drivers) can be. How many people will die on Florida’s streets and highways this year? If past is prologue, it’ll be more far more than 3,000. The toll has exceeded that number each of the past five years. In 2023, the total was 3,228 a few days before year’s end — and that was the lowest in years. Imagine if the populations of Redington and North Redington Beach just disappeared. That would not even equal the loved ones who died on Florida’s roads last year. How many close calls have we all had behind the wheel?

8,271

Car crashes kill too many people, but guess what killed 2.5 times more Floridians last year — COVID-19. For most of us, the pandemic disappeared from the rearview mirror long ago. But 8,271 COVID deaths in Florida in 2023 reminds us that the coronavirus is not quite done with us — particularly the older, the frailer and the immunocompromised among us and those suffering from long COVID. Nearly 9% of Florida’s COVID deaths occurred in 2023. It’s a reminder that it’s worthwhile keeping up to date with all vaccinations, including that flu shot, to keep a case of COVID as mild as possible. Also, if you see someone still wearing a mask, just live and let live. For real.

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sherri Day, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill, Jim Verhulst and Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news.