Miami
Al’s
Loupe Read Spanish Version
Miami’s
congressional races may help determine the next president
By
Alvaro F. Fernandez
Imagine
Miami as the epicenter of a political battle to determine who the
next president of the United States will be. It could happen. In the
end, results may revolve around the outcome of the three local races
for the U.S. House of Representatives – districts 18, 21 and 25,
seats currently held by Cuban-American republicans Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen (18), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (21) and Mario Diaz-Balart.
For
the first time since 1989, when Ros-Lehtinen became the first Cuban
American in congress, the three have drawn well-financed, and in at
least two of the races, experienced politicians with a solid base.
Raul Martinez, the first to declare his intentions, is challenging
Lincoln Diaz-Balart in what many have given top-billing in these
heavyweight battles. Raul, a lifelong democrat, is a former mayor of
Hialeah, a heavily republican city whose voters continually voted for
him until his retirement two years ago. A large chunk of the city
falls into Lincoln’s 21st
district. The second to declare was Joe Garcia, who has headed the
Latino outreach campaign nationally for the New Democratic Network.
Garcia was also president of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. Before
that he served as executive director of the Cuban American National
Foundation, the anti-Castro organization founded by Jorge Mas Canosa.
The last to declare is the newest to the political fray: successful
business executive Annette Tadeo, president and CEO of Language
Speak, a language services company.
The
three congressional races have already drawn national attention.
Expectations are high that they will produce some memorable moments.
I expect the three races, whose districts encompass most of the
northwest, west, and southern parts of Miami-Dade County, to create
high expectations on both sides and as a result draw record numbers
of voters on Election Day.
Florida
a must win
In
my opinion, the next president of the United States will have to win
Florida. As usual, battle lines are being drawn and pundits are
predicting who will win what. In Florida, the north will belong to
the most conservative candidate or the republican in this case. The
central part, which became known as the area around the I-4 Corridor
(the highway that crosses across the state from Tampa to Orlando),
will probably go Democrat due to the growing importance of the Latino
vote. But that should be a close race as moderate republicans, like
Senator Mel Martinez from Orlando, will campaign for the republican
candidate. Florida’s southwest coast will be won by the republican.
Which leaves the southeast to determine the victor.
It
is no secret that Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties will be
won by the democrat. The question may come down to: By how much? And
that’s where the aforementioned congressional races will resonate.
Because they will
be the most contested across the entire state.
The
beauty of these three congressional races is the real differences
between the candidates. The Diaz-Balarts have tried to package it as
single issue races: Cuba. The truth of the matter, as in the
presidential race, it’s about differing philosophies. All three
members of congress favor the war; their opponents do not. All three
voted against a program that would have subsidized health care for
the neediest children. Their opponents have been critical of that
vote. All three members of congress have been staunch supporters of
Bush’s economic policy. Their opponents now point to the looming
recession as a result of the Bush plan.
The
differences are many and more. In November, this election will tell
those of us who live in south Florida, and who long for a shift in
our political landscape, if we are ready for change.
We
now know that there will be three incumbents facing three very
capable opponents. Let us see who brings out the voters. If the
numbers are what I expect them to be, these voters will also
determine who the next president of this country will be. It will
come down to who wants it the most.
I
look forward to the political battles and also determining if
Miamians are happy with the status quo.
