Maurice Ferré, former Mayor of Miami and nephew of legendary Puerto Rico Governor Don A. Luis, could be the surprise winner of the 2010 Florida Democratic U.S. Senate Primary and the first Puerto Rican Senator if the extensive Hispanic voter registration plans of three non-profit voter registration foundations are successfully executed by August of 2010.
Democracia USA, a tax free foundation that specializes in Hispanic voter registration, has an ambitious plan to register 100,000 new Hispanic voters in Florida next year. In 2006, Democracia USA (D-USA) registered over 56,000 new Hispanic voters in Florida. In 2008, the organization successfully registered 88,000 new Hispanic voters in Florida. Their 2010 voter registration plan has a fully funded $2.5 million budget and a target of 100,000 new Hispanic voters who will be, based on their plan, overwhelmingly Puerto Rican.
Democracia USA is a national, multi-year, non-partisan Hispanic voter registration, civic engagement and leadership development organization that seek to increase the prominence and participation of Latinos in the American democratic process. They have a proven track record of registering and turning out Hispanic voters in Florida.
In less than five years, Democracia USA has grown from an operation of six full time staff to a thriving organization of more than 50, with eight offices across six crucial states and Washington DC, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. By the end of 2010, D-USA will also have established new offices in Texas and New Mexico.
Democracia USA was originally launched in Florida in 2004 to address the civic participation needs of the rapidly growing Hispanic population of the United States, and its potential impact on the American electorate.
