The Hillary Clinton campaign is in "full panic mode" over potentially low voter turnout in Florida among African Americans, a key minority group needed for the Democratic nominee to impede Donald Trump’s chances of capturing the sunshine state.
While Clinton and former President Bill Clinton are scheduled to host separate events Friday in an attempt to draw African-American crowds, Democrats are growing increasingly concerned that black voters are unmoved by her candidacy.
"Hillary Clinton’s campaign is in panic mode. Full panic mode," Leslie Wimes, a South Florida-based president of the Democratic African-American Women Caucus, told Politico on Wednesday.
"They have a big problem because they thought Obama and Michelle saying, ‘Hey, go vote for Hillary’ would do it. But it’s not enough," Wimes said, noting that much of the black vote in Florida is anti-Trump, rather than pro-Clinton. "In the end, we don’t vote against somebody. We vote for somebody."
The president is expected to campaign in Florida on behalf of Clinton at least twice before Nov. 8. First Lady Michelle Obama is also set to make a visit to the state.
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a high-profile black leader in Florida backing Clinton’s bid, said while the former secretary of state has "varying levels of enthusiasm" among voters in the city, "it’s hard to recapture that level of enthusiasm" Obama clinched in 2008.
Still, he expressed confidence that black voters would show up to the polls on election day.
"While I’d love for them to be excited when they show up to the polls … my first job is to make sure they get there," Gillum told Politico.
Henry Crespo, president of the Miami-based Florida Democratic Black Caucus, also noted a lack of excitement surrounding Clinton’s campaign.
"No one is writing songs for Hillary. Obama had will.i.am. Hillary has nobody like that," Crespo told Politico. "Right now, the vote is against Trump. It’s not for Hillary. I still think she’s going to win. But you want your people to be for your candidate, not just against the other guy."
Clinton is currently polling at nearly 85 percent among Florida’s 1.7 million black voters. Trump is polling around 5 percent.