Florida Democrats have struggled to resonate with the Hispanic community in Florida as Republicans have surpassed Democrats for the first time in the state in voter registration.
The surge in Republican voters has been largely attributable to an increase in Hispanic voter registration that has favored Republicans in the state.
In the Miami-Dade area, which typically leans Democrat, Republicans have surpassed Democrats in Hispanic voter registrations by over 70,000 votes.
In the last four years, Republicans have registered over 52,000 Hispanic voters in the area while Democrats have lost over 2,000 Hispanic voters.
Voter registration trends for Hispanics in Miami-Dade Aug 2018 to Aug 2022
Republican: +52,039
Democrat: -2,091
No Party Affiliation: +30,159
Total voter registrations for Hispanics in Miami-Dade (8/1/22)
GOP: 323,133
Dem: 252,395
NPA: 307,825Will Miami-Dade go red in November?
— Florida Research (@FlaResearch) August 21, 2022
Republicans have hit a stride with rolling out effective messaging to the Hispanic community in Florida.
As part of his re-election bid, Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled Spanish language advertisements last week.
The ad, titled ‘Libre,’ Spanish for free, highlights DeSantis’ laws protecting parental rights and making Florida a place of freedom and opportunity for people across the state.
The pro-family, pro-freedom messaging is meant to resonate with Hispanic voters who fleed from authoritarian governments in countries like Cuba and Venezuela.
Democrats, for their part, have struggled to sway Hispanics as they embrace policies that are not popular with the Hispanic community.
On Sunday, Democrats held a rally in the Miami-Dade area.
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The really featured transgender and pro-communist flags, political symbols that will likely turn off pro-family Hispanics who fled Socialist countries like Venezuela and Cuba.
Siri, why are Democrats losing so much ground in Miami? https://t.co/NP2tPzWraY
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) August 21, 2022
Florida Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, one of two Democrats running against Ron DeSantis in the Governors election, has used condescending talking points when discussing the Hispanic community.
In one recent interview, she said that she tries to engage Hispanic voters in the Democratic primary by ‘talking slow’.
Florida Democrat Nikki Fried was asked how she is engaging Hispanic voters in the gubernatorial primary.
Her response: "I talk slow" pic.twitter.com/jIgMTHeLdh
— Florida Research (@FlaResearch) August 21, 2022
While Democrats have struggled to gain footing with the Hispanic community in Florida, some more serious efforts are being made.
In June, it was reported that Democratic operatives began buying up Spanish-American radio stations in Florida.
The radio stations will make up a new media conglomerate called the Latino Media Network.
One of the stations acquired by the Latino Media Network was Radio Mambi, a right-leaning radio station that gave Cuban refugees who fled socialist authoritarianism a voice in American politics.
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Be sure to read: DeSantis unveils Spanish-language ad for re-election bid as Hispanics flee from Democratic Party
