What A Day The Sunshine State Strategy
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Jan 28, 2026 Patricia Mazzei, Miami bureau chief for The New York Times who covers South Florida politics, discusses Cuban-American political organizing and its sway in Washington. She explores why Cuban Americans trend Republican, the role of anti-communism in U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela, and how migration waves and immigration laws shape Miami’s power.
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Recruitment Over Ideology
- Patricia Mazzei explains Republicans recruited Cuban voters by offering political opportunity and anti-communist rhetoric.
- Campaigns used Reagan-era appeals and promises of office to shift Cuban voters rightward.
Region Seen As Ideological Network
- Mazzei links South Florida influence to recent actions against Maduro as a peak political moment for Cuban-American priorities.
- She describes a regional view of leftist governments as ideologically interconnected with Cuba's revolution.
Rubio's Family Narrative
- Mazzei recounts Marco Rubio's 2016 campaign origin story emphasizing his immigrant parents' work ethic.
- She ties his family narrative to broader waves of Cuban migration that shape Miami politics.