Democrats in Miami-Dade County have shed voters by the thousands over the past few years.
Numbers from the county's elections office show that in 2020 there were more than 635,000 registered Democrats, compared to some 512,000 today.
That’s a sharp drop of about 123,000 registered Democrats.
Republicans are doing the opposite, increasing their numbers, with about 435,000 registered Republicans in 2020 compared to some 450,000 today, an increase of about 15,000 GOP registered voters.
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DECISION 2024
Local Democrats are hoping the enthusiasm behind Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign trickles down to their races.
"I have endorsed our Vice President,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Levine Cava, a staunch Democrat, is running for reelection and set to be on the same ballot as Harris come November’s election.
The mayor is hoping for a push.
"I think the amount of money she raised in 24 hours and the number of people that joined and the delegates that committed, all of that speaks well for momentum and a historic victory,” she said.
Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is in a similar situation, taking on incumbent Republican Rick Scott for one of Florida’s seats in the U.S. Senate.
“Obviously, when you have a change at the top of the ticket that brings more enthusiasm from young voters, it can absolutely impact in a positive way my race,” Mucarsel-Powell said.
The Harris campaign is courting voters nationwide, with some of the focus being on young voters as well as the Black vote.
T. Willard Fair, President of the Urban League of Greater Miami, also popular in South Florida GOP circles, warns against playing into identity politics.
“Don't vote color, vote your own self interest, be selfish," said Fair. "If Kamala can do it for us then fine, if Trump can do it for us then fine, but don’t let folks divide us, that we got to vote for somebody because they are black, or they gotta don’t vote for somebody because they belong to a different party. We are intelligent, we have proven that we can do it on our own."
