Puerto Rican Influx Could Affect Politics
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
The Associated Press
Saturday, May 27, 2006; 1:18 PM
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..... In recent months, Florida business and Puerto Rican community groups have been flooded with calls and visits from people looking to escape the island's latest political turmoil. The calls have subsided somewhat since Puerto Rico's legislators and governor reached a budget agreement that reopened the commonwealth's government offices and schools.
But experts say the frenzy highlights a demographic change that could have significant political effect in Florida and throughout the country. Unlike other recent Hispanic immigrants, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and can vote.
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The critical mass is also starting to get notice from both major political parties. While Puerto Ricans tend to vote Democratic, Republicans are eagerly wooing those in Florida. Earlier this month, the Republican Party's booth was the first to greet visitors at the regional Hispanic Business and Consumer Expo in Orlando.
State Rep. John Quinones, a Republican and the first Puerto Rican in the Legislature, has been touted as an up and coming leader by the state's top politicians since his 2003 election.
Democrats, though slower to dig in, are also beginning to see the Puerto Ricans as a "counter" to Miami's predominantly Republican Cuban community, Vargas-Ramos said.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/27/AR2006052700547.html