The fastest growing voting bloc in Florida is known as NPA for "No Party Affiliation," and those voters now account for 26 percent of the Sunshine State electorate, according to data collected by the University of South Florida in Tampa. Part of that uptick is coming from Florida's growing Latino population, which is quickly diversifying away from the once dominant, GOP-affiliated Cuban Americans. In fact, with more than 1 million Puerto Ricans, Florida is gaining on New York as home to the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans who’ve left the island.
The rapid change in party affiliation and voter demographics is causing consternation for candidates in the state, particularly among Republicans. Washington Post reports:
The demographics are changing rapidly here in Central Florida, a mecca of undecided voters stretching from Orlando to Tampa that helps swing state elections and that is rapidly becoming home to more Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, Colombians and Dominicans. [...]
Republican candidates up and down the ballot also have to contend with GOP nominee Donald Trump, who has alienated many Latinos in the state with his talk of immigrant criminals, a massive border wall and aggressive deportations.
The combination of factors sets the stage for a remarkably unsettled election for Republicans in Florida, a crucial battleground state that could help determine who wins the White House and Senate. Sen. Marco Rubio [...] is a top target for Democrats in November, while Trump is trailing Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential contest here.
Clinton has been running a consistent 3 to 4 points ahead of Trump in the average of Florida polls since the conventions. Additionally, Trump has almost no ground operation in the state, opening just one campaign office to Clinton’s 34 there. But beyond the implications for this election cycle—which could be significant—the demographic shift among Latino voters in Florida could alter the state’s political landscape for years to come.