WESH 2 NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX IS HERE WITH US IN STUDIO, AND GREG, HE’S GOING AFTER AN IMPORTANT VOTING GROUP. GREG: HE IS, AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT VOTERS WITH PUERTO RICAN HERITAGE, YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT NEARLY 13% OF OUR LOCAL POPULATION. IF STATEHOOD IS THE GOAL, THE CANDIDATE WHO CAN PERSUADE VOTERS THAT HE OR SHE CAN GET THE JOB DONE JUST MIGHT HAVE THE EDGE THEY NEED TO WIN THE NOMINATION. IN FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG HAD YET TO ANNOUNCED WHETHER HE WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, AND WAS TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE. >> ORLANDO’S TAKING THE EXACT TYPE OF INNOVATIVE CLIMATE ACTION THAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE FROM CITY TO CITY AND STATE TO STATE AND COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. GREG: NOW SEEKING THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION, LOCAL READERS MAY HAVE CAUGHT THE ORLANDO SENTINEL OPINION PIECE IN WHICH BLOOMBERG SAID HE FAVORS STATEHOOD FOR PUERTO RICO. HE SAYS THE ISLAND HAS BEEN SHAKEN BY EARTHQUAKES. AND IN 2017, HURRICANES MARIA AND IRMA CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE FROM WHICH THE POPULATION OF 3.1 MILLION PEOPLE ARE STILL RECOVERING. BLOOMBERG, WHO KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT MONEY, SAYS THE COMMONWEALTH IS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, AND THAT THE ONLY WAY TO STEER THE SHIP INTO PROSPEROUS WATERS IS BY MAKING IT A STATE. IN A SHREWD POLITICAL MOVE, BLOOMBERG KNOWS FOCUSING ON PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD MAKES SENSE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, WITH THE LARGEST PUERTO RICAN POPULATION OUTSIDE NEW YORK. >> IT’S REALLY KIND OF A CONSERVATIVE BASE THERE. GREG: REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MIKE WALTZ DOESN’T THINK MUCH OF BLOOMBERG’S CAMPAIGN OR HIS CHANCES OF WINNING THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION AND BEATING PRESIDENT TRUMP. BUT THE ARMY GREEN BERET OFFICER TELLS ME, HE DOES SUPPORT -- BUT THE ARMY GREEN BERET OFFICER TELLS ME HE DOES SUPPORT STATEHOOD FOR PUERTO RICO, A TERRITORY WITH A RICH HISTORY OF SUPPORTING U.S. ARMED FORCES. >> PUERTO RICO BY PERCENTAGE HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF SERVING IN THE MILITARY AND SERVING ABROAD OF ANY STATE IN THE UNION AND FOR ME THAT’S JUST A FAIRNESS ISSUE AND DESERVING TO BE A CITIZEN AND DESERVING TO BE TREATED ACCORDINGLY. GREG: WHAT BLOOMBERG IS COUNTING ON IS STRONG TURNOUT OF LOCAL VOTERS WITH PUERTO RICAN HERITAGE, AND TYPICALLY REGISTER AS INDEPENDENTS OR DEMOCRATS. RIGHT NOW THERE’S A HOUSE BILL THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE A VOTE THIS NOVEMBER ON PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD. FOR THE RECORD, OTHER DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES INCLUDING JOE BIDEN AND ANDR
Bloomberg: Make Puerto Rico a state
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Updated: 9:56 PM EST Jan 27, 2020
The impeachment is running right up against next week's Iowa caucuses, the official start of the election year.Florida's primary is in March.Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is targeting the Central Florida region.WESH 2 News political reporter Greg Fox has details on how Bloomberg is going after an important voting group.Bloomberg is targeting voters with Puerto Rican heritage, nearly 13 percent of Central Florida’s local population.If statehood is the goal, the candidate who can persuade voters that he or she can get the job done, just might have the edge they need to win the nomination. In February of last year, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had yet to announce whether he was running for president. He was talking about fighting climate change then.Now seeking the Democratic nomination, local readers may have caught the Orlando Sentinel opinion piece, in which Bloomberg said he favors statehood for Puerto Rico.He says the island has been shaken by earthquakes in recent months and in 2017, hurricanes Maria and Irma caused widespread damage from which the population of 3.1 million people are still recovering.Bloomberg said the commonwealth is struggling financially, and that the only way to steer the ship into prosperous waters is by making it a state.In a shrewd political move, Bloomberg knows focusing on Puerto Rico statehood makes sense in Central Florida, with the largest Puerto Rican population outside New York.Republican Congressman Mike Waltz doesn't think much of Bloomberg's campaign or his chances of winning the Democratic nomination and beating President Trump. But the Army Green Beret officer told WESH 2 News he does support statehood for Puerto Rico, a territory with a rich history of supporting U.S. armed forces. “Puerto Rico, by percentage, has one of the highest rates of serving in the military and serving abroad of any state in the union, and for me, that's just a fairness issue and deserving to be a citizen and deserving to be treated accordingly,” Waltz said.What Bloomberg is counting on, is strong turnout of local voters with Puerto Rican heritage, and those who typically register as Independents or Democrats. Right now, there's a House bill that would authorize a vote this November on Puerto Rico statehood. Other Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden and Andrew Yang, have said they support statehood for Puerto Rico.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The impeachment is running right up against next week's Iowa caucuses, the official start of the election year.
Florida's primary is in March.
Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is targeting the Central Florida region.
WESH 2 News political reporter Greg Fox has details on how Bloomberg is going after an important voting group.
Bloomberg is targeting voters with Puerto Rican heritage, nearly 13 percent of Central Florida’s local population.
If statehood is the goal, the candidate who can persuade voters that he or she can get the job done, just might have the edge they need to win the nomination.
In February of last year, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had yet to announce whether he was running for president. He was talking about fighting climate change then.
Now seeking the Democratic nomination, local readers may have caught the Orlando Sentinel opinion piece, in which Bloomberg said he favors statehood for Puerto Rico.
He says the island has been shaken by earthquakes in recent months and in 2017, hurricanes Maria and Irma caused widespread damage from which the population of 3.1 million people are still recovering.
Bloomberg said the commonwealth is struggling financially, and that the only way to steer the ship into prosperous waters is by making it a state.
In a shrewd political move, Bloomberg knows focusing on Puerto Rico statehood makes sense in Central Florida, with the largest Puerto Rican population outside New York.
Republican Congressman Mike Waltz doesn't think much of Bloomberg's campaign or his chances of winning the Democratic nomination and beating President Trump. But the Army Green Beret officer told WESH 2 News he does support statehood for Puerto Rico, a territory with a rich history of supporting U.S. armed forces.
“Puerto Rico, by percentage, has one of the highest rates of serving in the military and serving abroad of any state in the union, and for me, that's just a fairness issue and deserving to be a citizen and deserving to be treated accordingly,” Waltz said.
What Bloomberg is counting on, is strong turnout of local voters with Puerto Rican heritage, and those who typically register as Independents or Democrats.
Right now, there's a House bill that would authorize a vote this November on Puerto Rico statehood. Other Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden and Andrew Yang, have said they support statehood for Puerto Rico.
