Part of Donald Trump’s pitch to Florida Latino voters is that he wants to repeal and replace Obamacare. But that may not be the best way to win Florida votes.
Most Florida Latinos support the Affordable Care Act and nearly 80 percent said they’d pick a candidate who thinks Florida should accept federal funds to expand Medicaid, according to a new poll by Latino Decisions.
The poll conducted on behalf of the National Council of La Raza found that 64 percent of Florida Latinos say Obamacare is working well; just 33 percent say it’s not working and should be repealed.
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Like Texas, Florida has refused to accept billions in federal dollars to expand Medicaid for the poor and disabled.
“Latinos in Florida and Texas are overwhelmingly in favor of their states changing their minds and taking the federal funds,” said Sylvia Manzano, a principal with Latino Decisions.
Clinton and Trump have been working hard to try to win over Florida Latinos.
Latinos in Florida and Texas are overwhelmingly in favor of their states changing their minds and taking the federal funds.
Sylvia Manzano, Latino Decisions
Trump has been particularly focused on building support among the traditionally conservative Cuban-Americans by taking a tougher stance on Cuban relations. In October, Trump traveled to Miami and visited Little Havana to pay tribute to the Miami veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion. He also met with the mother of a Brothers to the Rescue pilot who was shot down by the Cuban government over the Florida Straits.
But when asked why Latinos should feel safe voting for him during a Spanish-language radio interview, Trump cited the large Hispanic staff at his Doral Miami resort, criticized the Obama administration’s rapprochement with Cuba and promised to repeal Obamacare.
“I’m going to repeal and replace Obamacare,” Trump said. “Hillary Clinton wants to raise everybody’s taxes, and they have to pay tremendous amounts of money for Obamacare, but I’m going to repeal it and replace it. I think that what is going to happen, I think we’re going to do very well with the Hispanic community.”
It’s a sensitive subject for Latinos in Florida and throughout much of the country who support the Affordable Care Act. Since the implementation of the law in 2014, the overall uninsured rate for Latinos has dropped more than any other ethnicity, from 24 percent to about 16 percent, according to Steven Lopez, Manager of the Health Policy Project at the National Council of La Raza.
Email: fordonez@mcclatchydc.com; Twitter: @francoordonez.