On this week’s Florida History Podcast we discuss the critical role Florida’s Primary has played in both Democratic and GOP races of the past.

Beginning in 1972, Florida’s Presidential Primary became a critical event in the Democratic Party’s nominating process. Starting in 1976, it was an important date on the GOP’s nomination calendar. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s Florida played a critical role. But as other states moved up their primaries, Florida was largely irrelevant in 2000 and 2004. Then in 2007 the legislature moved the 2008 primary up to late January, a move rejected by both national parties. Dropped back to a traditional March date, Florida surprisingly ended up playing a critical role in the GOP’s nominating process in both 2012 and 2016.

You can listen to the Florida History Podcast on Anchor (which hosts our show), Spotify, Google, Apple, Radio Public, Breaker, Overcast, Castro or Pocket Casts. Overcast, Castro, Spotify, Radio Public and Breaker have App Store apps for free which enable you to subscribe and listen on your iPhone if you do not use the Apple Podcast app. We release a new episode weekly.