U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., addresses attendees at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. To continue holding his seat in Florida, Scott needs to appeal to key voter groups in the state. With a new series of ads rolled out by the senator, Scott is spending multiple millions to focus on the prominent Florida Hispanic voter group as part of this goal. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
This week, Democrats have celebrated a glimmer of hope for this election cycle after the Florida Supreme Court approved an abortion-rights ballot initiative to be decided by Florida’s voters this November.
"In Florida, we understand how socialism suffocates the human spirit," Scott said in the Wednesday morning ad. "That’s why I fight against the socialist agenda in Washington."
Scott, like other Republicans, has often accused Democrats of leaning into socialism. This accusation has generally kept a rift between Democrats and Hispanic voter groups who escaped communist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela, which makes up a large portion of voters in Miami-Dade County. This traditionally blue county leaned red in the most recent midterm cycle, and it currently is Florida's most populated county with more than 60% of its registered voters identifying as Hispanic.
Scott said last month that he puts a lot of effort into talking to Hispanic voters and finds that they care about the "same issues that everybody does," like education, public safety and jobs.
"People that have come from to this country from another country, in a legal way, they came here because they wanted rule of law," Scott said. "They want what America has to offer."
Mucarsel-Powell, who announced her campaign last August, was elected in 2018. She was born in Ecuador and was Congress’ first Ecuadorian American and first South American-born congressional delegate. She lost her seat to Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez after one term.
Mucarsel-Powell said last month that she relates to Hispanic voters because her story is similar to "so many people that live here in South Florida."
As part of her campaign, she does biweekly Spanish radio interviews to reach out to Hispanic communities. In these interviews, she often speaks to voters concerned about socialism and has accused Scott of promoting "misinformation."
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"I have seen firsthand what it looks like when you have a dictators take over," Mucarsel-Powell said. "So many people relate to that. That’s why it’ll be more difficult — very difficult — for him to be able to really get in touch with the reality of Latinos that live here in South Florida and what we’re facing."
The ad campaign was first reported by NBC News.
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