Florida fielded almost two dozen candidates of Puerto Rican heritage in the 2026 primary season — but who’s counting? El Nuevo Dia is. The Puerto Rican news organization found 20 candidates, mostly in Central Florida, which has the largest Puerto Rican population in the state.
Florida’s Puerto Rican candidates
In the race for governor, David Jolly, a former Republican turned Democrat, is considered a frontrunner. Puerto Rican Evelyn Castillo Bach went up against him in the primary. Jolly won and will face Republican Byron Donalds in the midterm election.
Democratic congressman Rep. Darren Soto, whose parents are from Puerto Rico, is running for reelection. His district is among those reorganized to favor Republicans. Dan Green will be his opponent in November.
Lower down the ticket, many Puerto Rican candidates vied for commissioners’ races: Democrats Johanna López, Victor Torres, José González, Rafael Lebrón, Aileen Martinez, and Tatiana Fernandez, and Republicans Nelly Hernández and Jeanette Quiñones Hernandez. There are also Puerto Ricans running for positions on school boards and county courts.
Growing importance of Puerto Rican voters
The past several elections have shown that Puerto Rican voters are becoming a strong force in stateside elections. Voters newly arrived from Puerto Rico tend not to have allegiance to either of the national parties, and they don’t vote as a uniform bloc. Their influence on elections can be surprising to observers. The Florida Phoenix credited Puerto Rican voters with flipping Osceola County from blue to red, a result;lt which flies in the face of the widespread belief that Puerto Ricans tend to be Democrats.
One thing that continues to be true of Puerto Rican voters: they turn out for elections at a higher rate than most stateside voters. That alone gives them outsize influence.
A recent national survey found that candidates’ positions on issues — including statehood for Puerto Rico — mattered more to Puerto Rican voters than party affiliation. Candidates who realize this may have an advantage.
