THE VILLAGES, Fla. ( NewsNation ) — The Florida community of The Villages has played a significant role in past presidential elections. Though it’s a conservative stronghold home to retirees and supporters of former President Donald Trump, some residents now say they’ll vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
NewsNation correspondent Xavier Walton visited The Villages to find out how residents of the sprawling central Florida facility located in Sumter, Marion and Lake counties plan to vote.
Which candidate fits residents’ needs?
Kim Perrone, a nine-year resident of The Villages, grew up as a Republican and later became an independent, but now plans to vote Democratic.
“My main concern is that my children continue to live in a free country, in a democracy,” Perrone said. “With Project 25 … possibly being used as a plan for this country under Trump, it’s just horrific. … It’s a blueprint for lots of people losing their rights — women, diverse cultures, diverse ways of life — and that’s just wrong. I think that’s the biggest thing to worry about right now.”