WEBVTT MEREDITH: WESH 2’S AMANDA OBER REPORTS HE’S BECOME THE TARGET OF INTENSE CRITICISM FROM POLITICIANS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. AMANDA: REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, JOHN WARD, IS AT THE CENTER OF A FIRESTORM FOR COMMENTS HE MADE ABOUT FLORIDA’S PUERTO RICAN EVACUEES. >> FIRST OF ALL, I DON’T THINK THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO REGISTER TO VOTE, AND YA KNOW, IT’S NOT LOST ON ME THAT I THIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS HOPING THEY CAN CHANGE A LOT OF VOTIN REGISTERS IN A LOT OF COUNTIES AND DISTRICTS, AND I DON’T THING THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT. AMANDA: IT WAS THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR WARD’S REPUBLICAN OPPONENT, DENTIST FRED COSTELLO, WHO POSTED THE COMMENTS ON YOUTUBE. >> HIS FIRST COMMENT WAS FIRST OF ALL, "I DON’T THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE." WHO IS HE TO DECIDE WHO GETS TO REGISTER TO VOTE? I’M GLAD HE DIDN’T WRITE THE CONSTITUTION. AMANDA: ACCORDING TO THE LAW, PUERTO RICANS ARE U.S. CITIZENS AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO ESTABLISH RESIDENCY IN FLORIDA, THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE HERE. RUBEN COLON IS A MEMBER OF VOLUSIA COUNTY’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND WAS BORN IN PUERTO RICO. >> THOSE RECKLESS COMMENTS TRULY WAS A SLAP IN THE SPACE TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO ALL HISPANICS AND TO ALL PUERTO RICANS. AMANDA: WESH 2 NEWS REACHED OUT TO WARD AND GOT THIS WRITTEN RESPONSE. "I STAND BY WHAT I SAID. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE DEMOCRAT PARTY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PUERTO RICA EVACUEES TO MANIPULATE VOTER REGISTRATION ROLLS. I WOULD WELCOME ANY PUERTO RICAN WHO WANTS TO PERMANENTLY RESETTLE IN FLORIDA TO REGISTER TO VOTE HERE." AMANDA: HERE IN VOLUSIA COUNTY, WARD’S COMMENTS ARE BEING CRITICIZED BY THOSE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL AISLE.
Central Florida congressional candidate says displaced Puerto Ricans shouldn’t be able to vote
Updated: 10:09 PM EDT May 23, 2018
A Republican candidate for Florida’s 6th congressional district, which includes much of Volusia and Flagler counties, was recorded recently saying displaced Puerto Ricans shouldn’t be allowed to register to vote in Florida. In a video posted to YouTube by his opponent, Fred Costello, Ward was asked about Puerto Ricans who have recently moved to the area and requested help. “First of all, I don’t think they should be allowed to register to vote,” Ward said in response. Ward continued to say he believes the Democratic Party is hoping to change the voting registers in parts of the state. “We should be looking to put the Puerto Ricans back in their homes,” he continued. “So the idea that they can come to the mainland United States -- I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, but I think we should be thinking about it in terms of getting them back home and providing the capital and resources to rebuild Puerto Rico, which I honestly think is where they belong,” Ward said. Ward issued a statement Wednesday to WESH 2 News, saying he stands by what he said:"I stand by what I said. I do not believe the Democrat Party should be able to take advantage of Puerto Rican evacuees fleeing a natural disaster, here on a temporary basis, in order to manipulate voter registrations rolls in the run up to the 2018 elections. I would welcome any Puerto Rican who wants to permanently resettle in Florida to register to vote here. We're all American citizens together. That said, if a natural disaster displaced me from Florida to some other state temporarily, I'd still want to vote by absentee in FL, my home community and voter registration, and not elsewhere.“As I said previously, we should be working as a state and nation to apply resources and capital to help these displaced American citizens to return to their homes in Puerto Rico. Home is where we all want to go, that is why home is called home. There is a difference between coming here temporarily, displaced by a natural disaster, and making a permanent life here on the mainland. Again, I welcome any Puerto Rican who wants to resettle here permanently and I want to do the work necessary to allow Puerto Ricans, that want to do so, to return home safely."Ward, Costello and Michael Waltz, are facing off in the GOP primary for Florida’s 6th congressional district to replace Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running for governor.
A Republican candidate for Florida’s 6th congressional district, which includes much of Volusia and Flagler counties, was recorded recently saying displaced Puerto Ricans shouldn’t be allowed to register to vote in Florida.
In a video posted to YouTube by his opponent, Fred Costello, Ward was asked about Puerto Ricans who have recently moved to the area and requested help.
“First of all, I don’t think they should be allowed to register to vote,” Ward said in response.
Ward continued to say he believes the Democratic Party is hoping to change the voting registers in parts of the state.
“We should be looking to put the Puerto Ricans back in their homes,” he continued. “So the idea that they can come to the mainland United States -- I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, but I think we should be thinking about it in terms of getting them back home and providing the capital and resources to rebuild Puerto Rico, which I honestly think is where they belong,” Ward said.
Ward issued a statement Wednesday to WESH 2 News, saying he stands by what he said:
"I stand by what I said. I do not believe the Democrat Party should be able to take advantage of Puerto Rican evacuees fleeing a natural disaster, here on a temporary basis, in order to manipulate voter registrations rolls in the run up to the 2018 elections. I would welcome any Puerto Rican who wants to permanently resettle in Florida to register to vote here. We're all American citizens together. That said, if a natural disaster displaced me from Florida to some other state temporarily, I'd still want to vote by absentee in FL, my home community and voter registration, and not elsewhere.“
As I said previously, we should be working as a state and nation to apply resources and capital to help these displaced American citizens to return to their homes in Puerto Rico. Home is where we all want to go, that is why home is called home. There is a difference between coming here temporarily, displaced by a natural disaster, and making a permanent life here on the mainland. Again, I welcome any Puerto Rican who wants to resettle here permanently and I want to do the work necessary to allow Puerto Ricans, that want to do so, to return home safely."
Ward, Costello and Michael Waltz, are facing off in the GOP primary for Florida’s 6th congressional district to replace Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running for governor.