By José Díaz-Balart and Andrés González -
NBC News
Once considered a Democratic stronghold, Miami-Dade County in Florida, with a high percentage of Latinos (69% of its residents identify as Hispanic), has become a fascinating battleground ahead of the 2024 elections .
In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton won the county by 29 points, but lost the general election to Republican Donald Trump; in 2020,
Joe Biden won there by seven and defeated Trump for the White House.
But in the 2022 congressional election, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis won the county by the largest margin of any Republican in decades, Miami's three congressional seats remained in the hands of conservatives, and Republican Senator Marco Rubio defeated Democrat Val Demings by 16 points after losing in his home county in 2016.
Biden and Trump, in a photo montage.Associated Press
MSNBC and NBC News host José Díaz-Balart spoke with four potential voters at the historic Ball & Chain restaurant in the heart of Miami's Little Havana, delving into the issues that matter to them and how they influence their vote in November. .
[Florida judge refuses to dismiss criminal case against Trump over secret Mar-a-Lago documents]
A former Democrat who now supports Donald Trump, a former Republican who is now a Democrat, a lifelong Democrat and a student who is not affiliated with any party expressed different opinions on the issues, although they put the economy and immigration as their main priorities.
They also gave their thoughts on Biden and Trump, and discussed whether they are excited about the 2024 elections.
Kelly Thomas, who comes from a family with military roots, was registered as a Democrat and moved to “no party affiliation,” said, “I have some progressive values and some conservative values.”
When asked if she felt enthusiastic about either of the two presidential candidates in the upcoming elections, she confessed that she was not, but "as a voter I have a duty and responsibility" to cast my vote.
Postures and concerns
For her part, Isabela Rodriguez, daughter of Cuban exiles, who used to be a Democrat and became a Republican in the 2020 elections, said: “I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.”
Rodriguez said she was very excited about the upcoming November election. "I'm excited about the possibility of four additional years under Donald Trump."
[Court decides not to postpone the trial against Trump for trying to hide payments to Stormy Daniels]
All those interviewed said that
the economy is among the two main issues that will decide their vote in the electoral contest.
Thomas said he had to go live with his parents again rather than fear independent living.
"I would like to see both candidates and whoever occupies the [Oval] Office in November address the issue of house prices because right now I am not seeing that."
Sandra Dennis, a longtime Democrat whose parents immigrated from Haiti, said, "I'm a Democrat through and through."
"For me, what matters most as a millennial is an economy that allows me to have savings and a retirement," Dennis said.
Rodriguez is worried that one of the pillars of American life is fading.
[How much do you need to earn to buy a house in the US?]
"
We are witnessing the death of the middle class
. You either exist in poverty and try to survive or you have many resources and this [the economy] does not affect you," he said.
"The sad part is that the United States was founded on the middle class and we are slowly losing that," he stressed.
About immigration
When it comes to the issue of immigration, these voters disagree on border security policies and also have different views on the nearly 8 million immigrants who have arrived in the United States since 2021.
"The housing crisis is not the result of the 8 million people who have arrived. Everywhere you look in Miami there is construction. They are building for everyone except the working class," Dennis said.
"So what I am saying is that
we should not blame immigrants for the problems that we have not known how to deal with
," he stressed.
Thomas stressed that immigration should not be "used to anger voters or blame others. I believe immigrants should be treated with compassion."
[A judge orders agents to protect migrant children at the border]
Alfonso Treto, a teacher in the public school system, who used to be a Republican and switched to the Democratic Party, and whose parents emigrated from Mexico, declared: "I'm in the center, but I'm more of a Democrat."
He said immigration should be seen as an opportunity in most cases, "but I understand that you can't allow everyone in because there is a process."
Treto also expressed his opposition to the construction of a wall because, he said, it is not a measure that works.
Rodriguez stated that they had a different point of view on the issue. "I believe that the southern border should be closed and it is unsafe for our country. I love to believe in the idea that everyone who crosses the southern border comes in search of the American dream, but that is not true. I am in favor of the wall. It has "You lock the doors of your house at night to keep it safe. We need some kind of measure to keep the border safe."
What message would they send them?
When asked what they would say to the two candidates for the White House: the president, Joe Biden, and former president Donald Trump, opinions were also divided.
[Trump shares a video with an image of Biden tied to the bed of a truck]
Dennis said: "I wouldn't talk to the president, it's not something I would do. I would say to President Biden that he may lose this election. He needs to listen to voters on the issue of housing costs, student loans and, in the case of foreign policy, needs to be in line with voters.
Rodriguez added that she would tell them both the same thing: "
America has to come first.
Of course, as a Trump supporter, I think it already does that."
"I would love for Republicans to talk about student loans. That's something they never talk about and I would like Trump to do it, just like [on the issue] of the housing crisis," he emphasized.
Treto noted that he would tell Trump "
not to demonize the people who are here, especially the immigrants
because we are a land of immigrants."
He added that he has not been very happy with everything that is happening. "Biden is steering the ship as best he can, but he has to get both parties to find common ground."
In this regard, Thomas commented that he would tell both candidates to "be honest, transparent,
and make me vote for him and not against his rival
."