Senate Candidates Court Cuban American Support
Monday, December 21, 2009
By: Tom Parkinson

The three top candidates in the race to become Florida's next U.S. senator are facing off today on the issue of U.S.-Cuba relations. One of the nation's most powerful Cuban-American lobbying groups, the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, is hosting the event today in Coral Gables. For the first time since the senate campaign began, all three front-runners will appear together. Governor Charlie Crist and his Republican primary challenger, Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, are addressing the group along with Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek. An endorsement by the group, which advocates for democracy in the communist island nation, is considered an extremely valuable prize among Florida politicians. Florida has a large and politically active Cuban-American community, and the US-Cuba Democracy PAC has reportedly donated more than $10 million to congressional campaigns since 2002.