The Chair of the Florida Democratic Party was in Southwest Florida Thursday.

Former Congresswoman Karen Thurman attended a reception in Naples in afternoon and met with Democrats at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Ft. Myers Thursday evening. Thurman says after losing ground to the GOP in the Sunshine State following the 1994 election – Democrats are on the comeback trail – as demonstrated last November.

“Most importantly because we kept Senator Nelson, we were able to pick up a cabinet seat with Alex Sink, we were able to pick up two – we think three congressional seats, and we actually flipped seven republican state house seats and took them away from Republicans and made them Democratic”

Southwest Florida has been considered a Republican stronghold for years….attracting high profile members of the GOP and hosting many highly successful fundraising events. But Thurman says the Democratic Party is now poised to pay more attention to this area of the state – and take advantage of a shift in voter attitudes and allegiance.