''Obviously, people like to see diversity. But that's not all they're looking for,'' said party spokeswoman Katie Gordon. ``They're looking for someone who can get the job done in these economic times. They're looking at the content of what candidates and the party are saying. They're not just voting for a candidate because she's a Hispanic female, or because he's a black male candidate.''

Gordon pointed to Hispanic Republican Belinda Ortiz, a state Senate candidate in 2008 who narrowly lost to a black Democratic incumbent, even though Gary Siplin's Orlando-area district is overwhelmingly black and Democratic. Ortiz now leads the party's Hispanic outreach.

HISPANIC OUTREACH

The party has also deployed a full-time Spanish-speaking spokeswoman in South Florida and is tailoring its message to younger Cuban-Americans who aren't as bound to the island as their grandparents.

''For a long time, we were only translating press releases that had to do with Cuba,'' Gordon said. ``But the Hispanic population doesn't want to hear just about Cuba. They want to hear about small business and education, healthcare, what everyone else wants.''

The challenge facing Democrats in 2010 will be to convince the thousands of newly registered Obama supporters to continue to support the Democratic ticket. Ana Navarro, who advised Republican presidential nominee John McCain on Hispanic outreach in 2008, said she doesn't think Sink can pull off an Obama-like campaign in which she presents herself as a political outsider.

''The next election is not going to be about change,'' said Navarro, who has already written McCollum a check. ``This is going to be about experience and qualifications, given the dire economic straits that Florida is in right now. It's going to be about policy, not personality.''

Asked about the potential lack of diversity in the Republican slate, Crist said, ''I think people ought to elect whoever they want.'' Of the Republican party in in Florida, he said, ``Well, I love it. It looks like it's doing incredibly well to me.''

Beth Reinhard can be reached at breinhard@MiamiHerald.com. Marc Caputo can be reached at mcaputo@MiamiHerald.com

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