 As of the 2016 US presidential election, this was also the last time that Florida would back the loser of the presidential election as well only the second time since 1924.Despite Bush's narrow victory, this election marked the start of Florida's transition from a strong GOP-leaning state into a closely divided swing state for future presidential elections; just four years earlier Bush had carried Florida by 22 points, making it his second-best state in the South.This is also the only election since 1944 that Florida did not vote the same way as Ohio, a state with a similar voting history.