Nov 4, 2008 6:00 pm US/Eastern
Diaz-Balart Vs. Raul Martinez For District 21
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Raul Martinez debate in the CBS4 studios.
CBS
For the first time in his political career, U.S. Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart faces his most serious challenge from Democrat Raul Martinez who says it's time to focus more on the U.S. economy and the war in Iraq than on Cuba. Rep. Diaz-Balart, who is seeking his ninth term in Congress, is known for fighting to maintain the U.S. embargo of Cuba.
It is perhaps the most negative race in South Florida this election season and the airwaves have been packed with attack ads from both sides.
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart told CBS4 Reporter David Sutta, "Everything that has come out of our campaign has been based on truth."
Former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, courting younger Cuban-Americans and other voters in districts where Democrats are gaining ground, explained to
CBS4 Reporter Gary Nelson, "We brought out the issues of the economy, healthcare, education and getting out of Iraq."
Congressional District 21 had 28,146 more registered Republicans than Democrats in 2006. That number has dropped to 10,543 for this election.
Martinez has also proved to be competitive fundraiser; he raised $1.7 million to Rep. Diaz-Balart's $2.1 million.
The congresman comes from a prestigious Cuban family with four generations in public service, including his younger brother Mario Diaz-Balart, who is seeking his fourth term in Congress.
They built their political careers in the Florida Legislature and Congress on their unwavering support for the decades-old U.S. embargo of Cuba.
Democrats have sought to paint the Diaz-Balarts as "yes-men" for President Bush, but the brother's point to the times they've broken with the GOP, especially on immigration.
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 54, sponsored the so-called 'Dream Act' that would allow children brought to the U.S. illegally to gain a path to citizenship through school or the military. The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic rights group, this year honored his work on behalf of immigrants, including his unsuccessful proposal to expand subsidized health insurance for legal immigrant children.
Raul Martinez is also strongly anti-Castro, but he wants to rescind the Bush administration's restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba and allow direct aid to Cuban dissidents. He would also consider cutting money for the U.S. government's Marti TV broadcasts to Cuba, a pet project of Diaz-Balarts, if the station can't figure out how to bypass Cuban jamming or address its reputation for biased programming.
Martinez, 59, is the son of a Cuban taxi union leader and credited with revitalizing Hialeah during his 20 years as mayor. He's also known for an overturned federal corruption conviction, he was re-elected during the trial, and for a temper that once led him to pummel a combative protester.
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