MIAMI – Both presidential candidates have spent time visiting South Florida, which is key to winning the Sunshine State and the nation.
There’s a lot of focus on South Florida for the presidential race. Florida is a swing state, and a candidate cannot with the Sunshine State without taking South Florida. The area has a large Latin American population, as well as other minorities, and both candidates are vying for their votes.
Supporters started lining up early Sunday morning to see President Donald Trump come through Opa-locka, just northwest of Miami. Thousands are hoping for four more years as the president makes a late-night, last-minute campaign stop later that evening. He was just in South Florida last week after voting early in Palm Beach County.
“We’re never going to lockdown again. We locked down. We understood the disease and now we’re open for business. And that’s what it is," Trump said.
Former Vice President Joe Biden also came through Florida last week, stopping in Fort Lauderdale. COVID-19 was a hot topic for both candidates.
“He’s spreading more than just coronavirus. He’s spreading division and discord. We need a president that is gonna bring us together, not pull us apart. I’ll put a plan in place to deal with this pandemic responsibly," Biden said.
On Saturday, Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, was urging people to get out the vote in Lake Worth -- not far from Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort.
“I think there’s gonna be a decisive, a decision on election night. I really do hope that," Harris said.
Democrats and Republicans know that whoever wins Florida will likely win the entire election. At least that’s how history has it. That’s why, in the coming days, there will be a big focus on winning over those undecided voters, including the millions who still plan to go to the polls on Tuesday.
South Florida has the potential for a lot of problems. A state representative who serves Miami-Dade tweeted video of what looks like mail-in ballots piled up at local post offices, which he worries could be a sign of major issues.