Diaz-Balart vs. Garcia goes down to the wire

Two hours after the polls were supposed to close, Joe Garcia and Mario Diaz-Balart, standing inches from each other, were still walking down a row of voters, shaking hands in the darkness outside the South Kendall Community Church, one of the county's busiest double precincts with some 7,400 voters.

To encourage people to remain in line, Garcia's camp handed out homemade sandwiches, soft drinks and water … even chocolate.

"Please tell us what you need, '' a Garcia worker yelled into a loud speaker. "But don't leave the line. We need you to vote.''

The precincts - 750 and 799 at the church at 16555 SW 147th Ave. in far southwest Miami-Dade  … became a symbol of how close the battle for Florida's 25th congressional seat had grown by the time the polls closed.

Garcia worked the line for 10 hours, starting at 11 a.m.; Diaz-Balart and his wife, Tia, arrived an hour later and stayed there all day.

"You have to go where voters are; that's why I'm still here,'' said an exhausted Garcia, who tried charm, his trivia knowledge and power of persuasion to seduce voters to mark his name once they had their ballot at hand.

"Tell me about Joe Garcia,'' asked Republican Miguel Orozco, 47, an investment banker, still undecided who to vote for in the congressional race. Garcia quickly began to tell Orozco his life story.

"I'm considering voting for him,'' Orozco said, seconds later, as Garcia moved on to the next person in line. "But I haven't decided yet.''

Up the line, Diaz-Balart was shaking hands with firefighter Peter Aleman, 36, a Democrat who told Diaz-Balart he would vote for him.

"I appreciate everything you do for us,'' Aleman said to Diaz-Balart, who thanked him warmly.

But within hearing range of Diaz-Balart, Garcia was telling voters the 21st congressional district was the "worst funded in the country''… and Diaz-Balart was to blame.

- LUISA YANEZ