In Tallahassee, Florida’s 29 Republican presidential electors gathered at the Capitol on Monday to cast their votes for Donald Trump. Trump won the Sunshine State over Joe Biden by 3.3 points last month, a margin of victory three times larger than in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton in Florida.

But Trump lost overall in the Electoral College count on Monday, 306-232. That’s despite the contention of Trump and many of his supporters who say he actually won the election, maintaining that there was massive voter fraud and irregularities that took place in crucial battleground states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona. 

But despite those verbal claims, the Trump campaign has not been able to prove its case in court, losing nearly every legal battle in federal and state courts around the country.

Now, Biden is poised to become president on January 20.

Three GOP electors spoke with Spectrum News before Monday afternoon’s vote in Tallahassee. All three expressed considerable personal pride about being able to cast a vote in the Electoral College, as well as professional pride in helping Trump win the state. And all three said they stood behind the president’s battles to challenge the results.

“Look, we can’t control what the other states do. We worked like hell here in Florida to deliver Florida for the president. That’s what we did,” said Christian Ziegler, the Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Florida. 

Ziegler maintains that a Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration will be a “total disaster” for the country, and he stands by the president doing everything he can to resist that from taking place.

“I’m not shocked that he’s doing everything he can, because throughout this whole process since 2015 when he first announced his campaign, he’s been fighting for the people," Ziegler said.

Nelson Diaz has been the Republican chair of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party since 2012 but is leaving that post later this week.

“I think Florida Republicans need to stand with the president and continue to look into these irregularities that occurred in other states until he has exhausted all legal remedies,” he said Monday morning. “There’s a number of legal challenges occurring in some of these states where fraud is alleged.  I think, until those remedies have been exhausted, the president should continue to battle for what he and many believe was an election where they were victorious.”

This was Polk County Republican Party Chairman J.C. Martin’s first foray as an elector.
“It’s got that kind of Founding Fathers sound to it because it happens so infrequently,” he said about being part of the Electoral College. “I’m just thrilled to be here representing President Trump and his victory in Florida.”

Martin said he’s fine letting Trump continue to fight the election results in court, but adds that if he’s not successful, “there’s always 2024.”

“We’re ready to start tomorrow if we need to,” he adds about getting behind the Trump Train four years from now. 

There was one alternate voting in Florida’s Electoral College vote today. St. Petersburg-based state Senator Jeff Brandes voted in place of Senate President Wilton Simpson. Simpson announced on Sunday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would not be attending the event in the Capitol.