Florida Senate GOP primary race turns on issues of illegal immigrants, the census, and federal funding
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio says he is against including illegal immigrants in the national census.
Critics say that would actually reduce Florida’s political clout and the amount of federal funding the Sunshine State garners.
Rubio’s stance puts him directly at odds with Republican Governor, and Senate GOP primary rival, Charlie Crist who said in a gaggle this morning that he thinks, “Every Floridian should be counted.”
Governor Crist does include illegal immigrants in his thinking on the subject and aides in his office say one reason for including illegals in the count is Florida receiving “All the federal funding we deserve.”
Rubio, The former Speaker of the Florida House, tells Fox News, “When it comes to political apportionment, the Census should count legal American citizens only. Gov. Crist’s position to include illegal immigrants in this count would dilute the voting power of every American citizen. Moreover, it would actually incentivize politicians to perpetuate our broken immigration system by rewarding states with large illegal immigrant populations with a louder voice in Washington. “
Crist aides say this is just the latest shift in Rubio’s “ever changing immigration stance,” pointing out reports that say when Rubio was asked whether illegal immigrants should count on things like the number of seats that Florida should have in Congress, Rubio initially said last week that he was not sure and that he wanted to “research it more.”
Rubio’s opposition is a theoretical one since the census has already started, with illegal immigrants being counted. Yet it is another example of his efforts to play to the conservative wing of the base in the Senatorial GOP Primary race against the more moderate Charlie Crist.
The latest polls out of Florida show Rubio surging, he had been down by more than 30 points only several weeks ago.