San Juan mayor endorses Nelson for reelection in Florida

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz on Saturday endorsed Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) for reelection in order to boost the incumbent over challenger Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R).

Though Scott has fared favorably in polls among Puerto Ricans displaced to Florida by Hurricane Maria last year, Cruz claims Scott’s close ties to President Trump indicates he doesn’t care about the island. 

“Do you think Donald Trump respects us?” she said at an event in Orlando on Saturday, according to Politico. “You deserve people that take your opinions into account. And two of those people are [Rep.] Darren Soto [D-Fla.] and Sen. Bill Nelson.”

“It’s very simple,” she added. “Don’t complicate it. Do you want Donald Trump to keep doing what he does? Stay home. But if you want real change, the kind of change that moves people to be better, it’s simple: Register to vote, and vote.”{mosads}

Polling indicates the majority of Puerto Ricans are deeply critical of Trump, saying his administration failed to act quickly or prepare adequately after the devastating Hurricane Maria last year.

However, many Puerto Ricans in Florida say they do not know who Nelson is, while Scott has made a point to reach out to people on the island during his campaign. Democratic strategists told The Hill in July that their party is aiming to educate Puerto Ricans on the mainland about who Nelson is and convince them that he would fight for causes that matter to them. 

@CarmenYulinCruz endorses @RepDarrenSoto & @SenBillNelson at Orange County Democratic County Annual event. #BlueWave2018 is here!
cc: @latinovictoryus pic.twitter.com/KGbVmOVS67

— Melissa MarkViverito (@MMViverito) July 28, 2018

Cruz captured national attention last year when she sparred with Trump over the president’s response to the hurricane. 

She wore a t-shirt that said the word “nasty” during a television interview in 2017, after Trump repeatedly used the term to describe her. 

Nelson in a statement said Cruz is “a tremendous leader and advocate for the people of San Juan and all Puerto Ricans and it’s an honor to receive her endorsement,” according to Politico. 

An estimated 40,000 Puerto Ricans resettled in Florida after Maria, which devastated the island and left thousands of islanders without power.

“We’re highly motivated to vote based upon the mistreatment of those in the island after Hurricane Maria,” Soto, who is of Puerto Rican descent and has been campaigning with Nelson, told The Hill in July.

“It’s a combination of continuing to educate voters on Sen. Nelson being a longtime friend of the Hispanic community, while Scott has been a Johnny-come-lately to a lot of these issues in a huge election makeover,” Soto said.