Candidates Prepare To Fight For Florida On Super Tuesday
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Florida's 99 Republican delegates and 246 Democratic delegates are up for grabs, and Florida's election has already started.
Early voting began Monday in Miami-Dade County, absentee ballots have been mailed out and three of the candidates plan to spend the evening of Super Tuesday in South Florida, watching the results come in.
South Florida Cuban-American political leaders are voting and stumping for Senator Marco Rubio on the first day of early voting in Miami-Dade County.
"Marco, he's a young man but he's wise beyond his years and experienced beyond his years," said former Republican Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart.
They know what political experts agree upon. If Rubio cannot carry the vote in his home state, he will have little shot at winning the White House.
"We think it's critically important that we send a clear message that Florida is a Republican state, not a swing state, and that on March 15th, the Republican Party selects Marco Rubio as their candidate coming out of the State of Florida," said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo.
"It's simply must-win. Marco cannot continue his campaign for the President without guaranteeing and winning his home state, which right now looks to be in jeopardy," political pollster and analyst Fernand Amandi told CBS4's Natalia Zea.
Amandi is not surprised three of the candidates are spending the evening of Super Tuesday in South Florida.
Hillary Clinton has a rally scheduled at the Ice Palace Film Studios in Miami, Donald Trump will be courting voters in Palm Beach and Rubio will be energizing supporters just a few miles from his West Miami Home at the Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center at Tropical Park.
"Florida is the battleground swing state prize, but more importantly in the primary it could be determinative to who is going to be the nominee of either party," said Amandi.
The Republican primary winner will take home 99 delegates, and the Dems win of its 246 delegates will be proportional. But a win in the Sunshine State is more than a luxury for most campaigns.
"Florida is the most important state when it comes to presidential politics in the United States," said Amandi.
Amandi believes candidates will spend the majority of their time visiting Florida, with Democrats focused on Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach while Republicans spread their message statewide.
"It's very difficult for Republicans to cherry-pick and that's why you're going to see them flying from one part of the state to another," said Amandi.
While Rubio has some hometown support, Trump's fans, like former Hialeah Mayor Julio Martinez, are holding strong.
"(Trump) stands for what he believes in. He's not perfect, none of us are perfect but the man is strong on America and that's why I'm supporting him," he said.
Florida will hold its presidential primaries March 15th.
Early voting in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties kicked off Monday.
Click here to learn more about early voting in Broward County.
