Swinging Hispanic Vote

Once defined largely in terms of south Florida's GOP-dominant Cuban-American population, Florida's Hispanic vote has become more diverse in terms of country of origin and less predictable in terms of voting patterns. Central Florida has a growing community of Puerto Ricans and other non-Cuban Hispanics who've tended to vote Democrat. In Hillsborough County, Puerto Ricans make up about a third of the Hispanic population. In south Florida, immigrants from Central and South America have made the Hispanic vote in that region much less Cuba-centered.

Consider just a few recent elections:

In 1996, Democrat Bill Clinton got 42% of Florida's Hispanic vote, and Republican Bob Dole got 46%.

In 1998, Republican Jeb Bush won 61% of the Hispanic vote. The same year, Democrat Sen. Bob Graham won re-election with 65%. Bush, meanwhile, won re-election in 2002 with 56% of the Hispanic vote.

While George W. Bush captured an estimated 61% of Florida's Hispanic vote in 2000, Democrat John Kerry attracted 52% in 2004 to Bush's 45.7%.

Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis split the Hispanic vote in 2006.

Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson captured two-thirds of the Hispanic vote, winning re-election in 2006.

Tags: Politics & Law, Government/Politics & Law