Camp Kamala Is Worried About the Hispanic Vote

Latino political and business leaders in Pennsylvania have privately warned Kamala Harris’s campaign that it’s falling short in engaging Latino voters and elected officials in the state, jeopardizing her ability to beat Donald Trump, according to a report from Politico.

"At a recent reception in Philadelphia, multiple Latino leaders approached Harris staffers and campaign allies privately to deliver versions of that admonition, according to two people who attended the event and were granted anonymity to describe private conversations," explains the outlet. "And interviews with a dozen Latino Democratic elected officials and strategists in this key swing state reveal ongoing fears that Latino men, in particular, still aren’t on board with Harris."

The drift among Latino men to Trump shows up everywhere in public polling — as Democrats’ lead among Latino voters has deteriorated to its lowest levels in decades, part of a long-term trend for Democrats. That’s true in Nevada and Arizona, two highly diverse states where Harris faces problems with diminishing support among Latino voters. And Harris’ performance with Latino voters in Pennsylvania, home to about 580,000 registered Latino voters, could tip the entire election.

“Yes, I am concerned, I am worried. … The Harris campaign needs to continue and do better at getting to the community, getting them out to vote,” Victor Martinez, the owner of a Spanish-language radio station in the state told Politico. “Trump has created a macho persona, a personality that is very attractive to the Latino man, and I can say this because I am a Latino man.”

One Pennsylvania elected official granted anonymity to speak freely complained that “they need to be ramping up with the Latinos” even more in the closing weeks, while another Latino leader in the state, who attended the Hispanic reception earlier this month, said they were worried about “getting Latino men over whatever issues they have about electing a woman as president — that’s on a lot of people’s minds.”
Since Harris replaced President Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket, she’s significantly improved Democrats’ numbers with voters of color across the board, making the party competitive again in diverse Sun Belt states. She is expected to win the majority of Latino voters in Pennsylvania and nationally. But her weakness among Latino men — and Trump’s specific appeal to this group — is worrying to operatives on the ground in Pennsylvania, because even moderate erosion with this group could affect the state’s results.

Feel good? Well, you shouldn't. While Kamala hasn't exactly won over these voters, according to operatives who spoke with Politico, Republicans haven't done more to court them, either.

“If they were to invest, I think they could really take the Democratic Party for a run,” said Martinez, a radio host who reaches hundreds of thousands of Latinos in the Lehigh Valley. He pointed out that while Kamala Harris and Democratic leaders like Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Bob Casey, and Rep. Susan Wild have connected with his audience, GOP counterparts have not.

This disparity is also seen in campaign spending. The Harris campaign and its allies have invested nearly $2 million in Spanish-language TV ads in Pennsylvania, while the Trump campaign and Republicans have only spent $175,000. Additionally, Harris’s campaign has 30 staffers dedicated to Latino outreach in the state, compared to just one on Trump’s side.

Kamala's struggle with Latino voters won't mean much if Trump isn't doing enough to bring them over to vote for him.