Emerson College released a poll Tuesday showing even levels of support for Republicans and Democrats among Latinos in Florida.
Thirty-eight percent of Hispanics surveyed view the Republican Party as favorably as the Democratic Party. Until recently, Latinos were a reliable constituency for Florida Democrats.
Support for Democrats has been collapsing among Hispanics. Miami-Dade County, which is 69 percent Latino, swung 22 points in favor of former president Donald Trump during the 2020 election.
The Emerson poll found the economy was by far the most important issue among Florida Hispanics, with Republicans enjoying a 6-point lead on economic policy among respondents. Nine percent of those polled chose social justice as their most important issue, 3 percent chose COVID-19, and just 1 percent identified gun violence. Many Hispanics, who were interviewed in focus groups for the poll, associate the Trump administration with a strong economy.
"I personally don't like Trump's character," one young woman told pollsters, "but … we did have a good economy, with him as our president, you know?"