Located in the heart of key swing state Florida, the city of Orlando has become one of the most important political arenas in the United States. Considered the swing city in this politically volatile state, both the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns have identified the area as a crucial battlefield in the race for the White House.
Battle for Orlando: Whos voting for Hillary Clinton in the key US election swing state of Florida?
With this fiercely contested presidential election fast approaching, IBTimes UK visited Orlando, and spoke to the most influential people, groups and organisations there, who could decide whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton become the next President of the United States.
Despite backing Barack Obama both in 2008 and 2012, Floridian voters have picked Republican presidential candidates in six out of the last ten elections. On top of that, in 2012 it was the only state to be decided by less than 1% of the vote, meaning the Republicans will believe this is a swing state they can win.
While Donald Trump does remain a controversial figure in the city with some Republicans, he can boast of a large support base in Orlando and the surrounding area. He drew a crowd of over 9,000 people to a local university during this campaign, and in Republican primaries comprehensively defeated Florida natives Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio in the state.
His ability to motivate disenfranchised voters could prove vital on 8 November. The votes of these so called political outsiders combined with support from the majority of Republicans, the significant gun owner vote in the state, and many in the Christian community could mean Florida will go red for the first time in eight years.
However, he faces a battle from Hillary Clinton, whose popularity among the Latino and Hispanic community and other influential minorities mean her campaign are equally hopeful of winning this decisive area in this vitally important state.
