But the numbers are getting bigger -- recent U.S. Census Bureau figures show the Hispanic population is among the fastest growing in the state -- and that makes Hispanics the "most sought after new-voter group in Florida," said Susan MacManus, a University of South Florida political science professor.

"Both political parties are absolutely adamant they want and need the Hispanic vote," MacManus said. "That feeling will only intensify in Florida in the next few years."

Voter registration groups predict more Hispanics will cast ballots in this election than in prior gubernatorial races because more are eligible to vote, said Jorge Mursuli, the executive director of Democracia USA. The Miami-based national organization registers Hispanic voters and seeks to increase political participation.

"The total number of eligible (Hispanic) voters will be large, and the percentages are likely to match presidential election (turnout)," he said.

But what political analysts can't predict is how Hispanics will vote. Unlike other voter groups such as African-Americans or conservative Christians, Latinos as a group don't have strong partisan ties.

Republican candidates say Hispanics' attraction to Bush goes beyond his fluent Spanish and Mexican wife, claiming Latinos are drawn by the party's conservative social stances.

But in the absence of a galvanizing issue, the candidates have tried to appeal to Hispanic voters by visiting popular Hispanic restaurants and cultural events as well as attending Latino political forums.

And while none of the candidates speaks Spanish, they've tried to close the language barrier by hiring Latino staff and advisors, offering their Web sites in Spanish and advertising in Spanish language media. They've also leaned on the endorsements of Hispanic politicians and civic groups to communicate with Spanish-speaking voters.

The push for the Hispanic vote could be even more critical in the general election, when differences between the candidates are more clearly drawn. But will appearances at Cuban restaurants and a few words of rehearsed Spanish be enough to win Hispanic votes?

"There are things much more important than if somebody speaks Spanish," said Mursuli, the Democracia USA director. "You have to have policies and positions that are of importance to that population."

After meeting with Davis at the Deltona forum, retired teacher Oneydo Montalvo said she was impressed with the candidate but not convinced of his sincerity.

"When a candidate wants to do something they make offers," said Montalvo, who came from Cuba and now lives in Deltona. "They say what they want to offer us, but we don't know if they will do what they say in office. Everything he says is good, but it's a maybe."

Such skepticism isn't limited to candidates, but also the process, especially for Spanish-speaking immigrants, said Pierson Farm workers Association coordinator Marcos Crisantos.

"They don't know who to vote for. There's not enough publicity in Spanish," Crisantos said in Spanish. "(Voters) don't know who is who, what (the candidates) are going to do and how are they going to work with the Hispanic community. If there was more (publicity) I think they would be more inclined to vote."

But the sparse turnout at the voter forum in Deltona -- the only one of its kind locally this year -- showed just how difficult it can be to rally Latino voters, said Maritza Vazquez, the vice president of the Volusia County Democrats who helped organize Davis' meeting.

"In Puerto Rico, they are very gung-ho into politics. Here it's so difficult to get people involved," she said. "I thought if I can bring (Davis) here and reach out to Hispanics, it would draw them out."

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