Democratic Party officials from Puerto Rico are ramping up ground efforts in Florida’s 9th Congressional District to support U.S. Representative Darren Soto’s re-election bid. Party leaders say Soto faces a tough contest against Republican challenger Dan Green amid a conservative shift in the newly redrawn central Florida district.
Targeting Central Florida Voters Amid a Conservative Shift
Luis Dávila Pernas, president of the Democratic Party of the United States in Puerto Rico, traveled through Orlando and Kissimmee over the weekend alongside party vice president Emma Marrero and New Progressive Party (PNP) representatives José “Che” Pérez and Alex “Chino” Roque. Organizers focused heavily on the region’s Puerto Rican community, which makes up roughly 30% of the electorate in Soto’s district.
The political environment in District 9 shifted following recent redistricting. Areas now included in the district favored Donald Trump by roughly an 18% margin over Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2024. In particular, Indian River County—which favored Trump 2 to 1 in 2024—now represents the largest influx of new voters in the district.
The Strategy Behind Democratic Outreach
Dávila Pernas argues that Soto can overcome the district’s conservative lean by driving high turnout in core Democratic strongholds like Kissimmee and Orlando while banking on voter fatigue among Republicans. “I think there’s going to be a large abstention on the part of the Republicans,” Dávila Pernas said, pointing to voter frustration with the cost of living under the current political climate as a decisive factor.
During their weekend swing, the Puerto Rican Democratic delegation also connected with several other high-profile candidates. These included David Jolly, a former Republican congressman running as a Democrat for governor against Trump-endorsed GOP candidate Byron Donalds; Annette Tadeo, running for chief financial officer; Samuel Vilchez Santiago, running for state representative in District 43; and Tiffany Moore Russell, running for Orange County mayor.
Retiree Endorsements for Soto
As the November 3 legislative elections approach, institutional endorsements continue to bolster Soto’s campaign. Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans, a group representing over 195,000 members in Florida, formally announced their backing of the incumbent congressman.
“Representative Soto has always looked out for seniors in Washington and earned a perfect 100% rating on the Alliance’s Annual Congressional Voting Record,” said Lorraine Tuliano of the Florida chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans.
Managing Cross-Party Dynamics
With more than 1.2 million Puerto Ricans residing in Florida—nearly half of them in the central part of the state—political alignment varies widely. “Puerto Ricans are not a homogeneous political block,” Marrero noted regarding the diverse electorate.
While some PNP members maintain ties with national Republicans, Dávila Pernas refrained from demanding their endorsement, though he emphasized that Soto has consistently acted as a staunch ally to the island, supporting federal statehood for Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández stated that he does not plan to campaign in the U.S. mainland for these legislative elections unless specifically requested by Soto.
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