U.S. Senator Rick Scott is ramping up his outreach efforts to Hispanic voters in Florida as a key voting group for his reelection campaign. The campaign plans on spending around $700,000 per week on ads in English and Spanish on various platforms including radio, digital, TV, and streaming services. The ads are aimed at cities like Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa, which are crucial for Scott’s reelection campaign as they have a large Hispanic voter base. The campaign’s first TV ad, released recently, does not mention Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former U.S. representative from Miami who is running against Scott.
Democrats in Florida recently achieved a victory when the state Supreme Court approved an abortion-rights ballot initiative to be decided by voters in November. Scott has been vocal about his opposition to socialism in Washington, a sentiment that resonates with Hispanic voters in Florida, particularly those who have escaped communist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela. Scott emphasizes that Hispanic voters care about issues like education, public safety, and jobs, and that they value the rule of law that America offers. Mucarsel-Powell, who hails from Ecuador, shares a similar background with many Hispanic voters in South Florida and is actively engaging with Hispanic communities through Spanish radio interviews as part of her campaign.
Mucarsel-Powell, who was elected in 2018 and lost her seat to Republican Carlos Gimenez after one term, believes that Scott is promoting misinformation and is out of touch with the reality of Latinos living in South Florida. She emphasizes that she has personally witnessed the effects of dictatorships, and many others in the community relate to that experience. While Scott accuses Democrats of leaning into socialism, Mucarsel-Powell finds it difficult for him to truly connect with the challenges faced by Latinos in South Florida. The competition between the two candidates highlights the importance of reaching out to Hispanic voters in the upcoming election.
Scott and his campaign have made efforts to engage with Hispanic voters by speaking directly to their concerns and emphasizing shared values when it comes to issues like immigration, jobs, and public safety. The push to connect with Hispanic voters is crucial for Scott as this demographic has increasingly leaned Republican in recent election cycles. The ad campaign by Scott’s team, which includes TV, digital, radio, and streaming service ads, is a strategic move to secure support from Hispanic voters in key cities like Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa. The outcome of the November election will depend on the ability of both candidates to effectively communicate their messages to this crucial voting group.
