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In this July 5, 2012, photo, retired police officer Hector Rodriquez sits in his office in Kissimmee, Fla. Rodriguez is a self-described fiscal conservative and a military hawk, with one son in the Army and another in the Coast Guard. When it comes to soc John Raoux, Associated Press
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In this July 5, 2012, photo, retired police officer Hector Rodriquez sits in his office in Kissimmee, Fla. Rodriguez is a self-described fiscal conservative and a military hawk, with one son in the Army and another in the Coast Guard. When it comes to soc John Raoux, Associated Press
By Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — Puerto Ricans living in Florida's midsection are drawing unprecedented attention from the presidential campaigns.

President Barack Obama is set to visit the Orlando area Thursday, the latest effort to woo a segment of Florida's most independent voters.

The growing interest in the Puerto Rican vote by the campaigns of Republican Mitt Romney and Obama stem from a combination of factors. One is the sheer growth in the state's Puerto Rican population. It's doubled in the last decade to more than 860,000 — and accounts for 1 in 14 voters overall.

Another factor is an increase in civic involvement as Puerto Ricans become accustomed to the rough-and-tumble of state politics.

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And Florida is playing a key role in the razor-close presidential race.

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