Debbie Mucarsel-Powell Intensifies Campaign in South Florida Ahead of U.S. Senate Election

As the U.S. Senate election in Florida approaches, Democratic candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is focusing her final campaign efforts in South Florida, a region she represented as a U.S. House Representative from 2019 to 2021. Mucarsel-Powell, who is originally from Ecuador and was raised in Miami, has been traveling extensively throughout the state but is now concentrating her efforts in and around Miami to shore up support.

On Friday, Mucarsel-Powell engaged in radio interviews and canvassed for votes in several communities, including college campuses. The previous night, she held rallies in the Miami area, one in Miramar, which has a significant Haitian and Puerto Rican population, and another at a senior center in Miami Gardens, a predominantly African-American community. At the Miami Gardens rally, she was joined by Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Mucarsel-Powell believes she will garner substantial support from the Hispanic community, criticizing her opponent, Sen. Rick Scott, for what she describes as false promises and a record that has disappointed many Latinos. “I think the Venezuelan community, the Puerto Rican community, have realized that he is a fraud, he lies to them, he makes false promises just to get back into power,” she said.

Her campaign schedule includes a teamsters picnic in Broward County and a get-out-the-vote rally with Rep. Maxwell Frost in Miami on Saturday. Mucarsel-Powell plans to be in Miami on Tuesday night as election results come in, hoping to declare victory and secure a U.S. Senate seat.

The race between Mucarsel-Powell and Scott is closely watched, as it could influence the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Scott, who has been in the Senate since 2018 and previously served as governor of Florida, is ahead by seven points according to a recent poll. However, Mucarsel-Powell and Democrats are optimistic about her chances, particularly given the support for two statewide initiatives on the ballot: the legalization of recreational marijuana and the establishment of a constitutional right to abortion up to viability.

Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign has emphasized her work to expand Medicare, provide economic relief to families and small businesses, and secure funds for the restoration of the Everglades. She has also positioned herself as a fiscal conservative who is against raising taxes on the middle class and committed to tackling rising costs head-on).