A Florida Republican running for Congress is facing backlash after he made some controversial comments about Puerto Ricans voting in the state.

• Congressional candidate from Florida makes controversial comments
• John Ward says evacuated Puerto Ricans shouldn't be allowed to register to vote
• He also claims Democratic Party wants to change voting registers

John Ward, a candidate for the 6th Congressional District -- which includes parts of Central Florida -- is under fire after he said hurricane evacuees from Puerto Rico shouldn't be allowed to register to vote in the state.

In a video posted on the YouTube channel "Fred 4Us," Ward also claimed that the Democrats are hoping to change the voting registers in parts of the state.

"I don't think they should be allowed to register to vote," Ward says in the video. "And it's not lost on me that I think the Democratic Party is really hoping they can change the voting register in a lot of counties and districts, and I don't think they should be allowed to do that," he says.

"I think we should be looking to put the Puerto Ricans back in their homes," he continues. "The idea that they can come to the mainland of the United States... I don't necessarily have a problem with that, but I think we should be thinking about it in terms of getting them back home and providing the capital and resources to rebuild Puerto Rico, which I honestly think is where they belong."

Ward made the comments at a candidate forum last month. The video of Ward making these comments was posted a little over a week ago on the YouTube channel, which is affiliated with Fred Costello’s campaign. 

More than 56,000 Puerto Ricans are estimated to have settled in the Sunshine State, specifically in the state's most sought-after swing districts, which could have the potential to tip the outcome of some races. Because Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they can register vote after they establish residency in any of the 50 states.

It's unclear how many new voters there are in Florida because of Hurricane Maria is difficult to track at this point. 

Ward's comments have drawn criticism from fellow Republicans, including Rep. Ron DeSantis, who currently represents Florida's 6th District and is running for Florida governor.

"They have every right to come to Florida, as somebody from Ohio can come to Florida or Texas. So, they need to be treated the same as every other American citizen if they decide to move to Florida and establish residency here," DeSantis said. "The idea that they should be prohibited from voting like everybody else is absurd."

Ward said in a statement that he thinks the Democratic Party should not be able to take advantage of Puerto Rican evacuees fleeing a natural disaster.