Wednesday, May 7, 2008

HIALEAH — In a packed social center in the heart of South Florida's most Republican city, elderly Cuban-American voters warmly greet a congressional candidate.

The city's longtime former mayor, Raul Martinez, is a familiar face. But he's no Republican.

Instead, he is leading a Democratic challenge that hopes to break the Republican stranglehold on Miami's large Cuban-American vote in congressional elections this fall.

The Voter registration in Congressional District 21 has gone through a drastic change in the past eighteen months.

Since the 2006 elections nearly 10,000 people have changed their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, boosting the momentum and candidacy of Mayor Raul Martinez for Congress.

In the City of Hialeah alone Democrats have gained over 455 new registrations in just April!

The once solidly Republican district is now only 40% Republican and 35% Democrat and the rest are Independents.

May 3, 2008

One of Broward's members of Congress faces the toughest fight of his political career. Another is waltzing back to Washington, D.C., without any challenger at all.

The region's most contentious contest is certain to be Democrat Raul Martinez' challenge to U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, who is seeking his ninth term.

Until this election season, Democrats didn't think they had a chance to beat Diaz-Balart. Though the district leans Republican, with voter registration 40 percent Republican, 35 Democratic, and 25 percent independent, Republican numbers have been going down and Democratic numbers increasing.