The short version
- Primera Hora reports that Democratic Congressman Darren Soto of Puerto Rican descent would win Florida's 9th Congressional District against Republican Dan Green with a lead of 1,477 votes and 99 percent counted
- El Nuevo Día reported that Soto declared himself the winner at midnight Tuesday after The Associated Press showed the same 1,477-vote lead or 0.6 percent
- El Nuevo Día reported the redistricting approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis had placed Soto at an almost 18 percent disadvantage
- El Nuevo Día reported Soto credited his record of service and said voters want action on rising costs for food, gasoline, health insurance and corruption in Washington
Narrow lead after redistricting
Congressman Darren Soto, a Democrat of Puerto Rican descent, declared victory in Florida's 9th Congressional District. El Nuevo Día reported that he announced the win at midnight on Tuesday after The Associated Press showed him with a lead of 1,477 votes, or 0.6 percent, with 99 percent of the vote counted. Primera Hora reported the same margin against Republican Dan Green.
Primera Hora reported that the electoral redistribution approved by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis had changed the district boundaries and added conservative-leaning areas, placing Soto in a difficult position. El Nuevo Día reported the redistricting had given him an almost 18 percent disadvantage against Green, a former military member. El Nuevo Día reported Soto's internal polls had predicted a very close race for days.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
A pesar de los esfuerzos de la legislatura republicana de Florida por sacarme de este distrito, por medio de una redistribución, mi trayectoria de servicio a Florida demostró a los votantes que soy un defensor confiable de sus intereses en el Congreso
Our translation: Despite the efforts of the Republican legislature of Florida to remove me from this district through a redistribution, my record of service to Florida showed voters that I am a reliable defender of their interests in Congress
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Performance by county
According to The Associated Press results cited by El Nuevo Día, Soto obtained advantages in Orange County by 28.8 percent and Osceola County by 22.4 percent, where the Puerto Rican vote is key. El Nuevo Día reported that Green won comfortably in the conservative counties added to the district, such as Highlands by 31.5 percent and Indian River by 20.1 percent.
El Nuevo Día reported that Soto's campaign had highlighted strong voter turnout during the afternoon despite the district now having a Republican majority, with about 36 percent Hispanic voters, mainly Puerto Ricans. If confirmed, El Nuevo Día reported, the four districts redrawn by Republicans to favor their candidates would still have been won by Democrats.
Where the sources differ
Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día agree on the 1,477-vote lead with 99 percent counted, the redistricting approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis that added conservative areas, and that Soto is of Puerto Rican descent. El Nuevo Día reports that Soto declared himself the winner at midnight Tuesday and includes his direct quotes on voter concerns plus county-level margins; Primera Hora uses conditional language that Soto would win and does not report the self-declaration or the quotes. Both mention the redrawn map favored Republicans but differ in emphasis, with El Nuevo Día calling it manipulation and noting strong Hispanic turnout.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether any news organization has called the race for Soto, whether the remaining 1 percent of votes could change the outcome, the total number of votes cast, or when final certification would occur. They also do not indicate if Green has conceded or commented on the results.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Congresista boricua Darren Soto revalida en Florida pese a cambios en el mapa electoral
- Reporting Darren Soto se declaró ganador, al indicar que superó la manipulación electoral en Florida central
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora both reported the preliminary results and background on the redistricting. Details on Soto's declaration, his quoted remarks, county margins and other Puerto Rican members of Congress rest solely on El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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