On Friday, May 13th, Axios Latino editor Astrid Galván and justice and race reporter Russell Contreras led conversations with newsmakers unpacking the top concerns and key issues among Latino voters – from inflation and the economy to immigration and more. Guests included UnidosUS president and CEO Janet Murguía and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).
Janet Murguía explained the top issues for Latino voters, where candidates tend to miss the mark in engaging with the Latino electorate and the importance of monitoring misinformation and micro-targeting strategies on social media campaigns.
- On what political candidates miss when reaching out to Latino voters: “Look, the economy and jobs and wages have always been top of mind for our community in poll after poll, and it’s something that’s not news to us. But I think that many candidates and certainly parties still can’t quite figure out that they have to meet our Latino voters where they are and engage them meaningfully on issues of importance to them.”
- On micro-targeting strategies to appeal to voters on social media: “It’s both a shield and a sword in some ways, as candidates and parties are understanding that those are ways in which you can reach into the community, and there’s not a lot of vetting of that information, so some parties are using that to their advantage. But we have to make sure that we’re having accountability for those platforms and that we’re seeing ways to counteract what are false information and narratives.”
Rep. Tony Gonzales explained how Republican outreach to Latinos this year is different than in previous years, what’s driving record numbers of Latinos and Latinas running for GOP seats and the issues that are top of mind for his constituents right now.
- On the increase in Latino & Latina GOP candidates: “I think they’re starting to question, hey, why am I a Democrat? What has my member of Congress done for me? What has the party done for me? And I think they’re starting to have a lot of questions. And I think what you’re seeing is you’re starting to see more candidates that have never run before, that have never entered the arena, if you will.”
- On the top issues for his constituents: “The number one issue in my district is the border, and it’s not even close. And they’re really upset, many people are upset, Democrats, Republicans, people that never voted. I mean, they’re upset in the sheer amount of folks that are coming over illegally has created this very chaotic environment. I’ll say, my district is very warm and welcoming…they’re not anti-immigrant. I’m not anti-immigrant. But what you see is this chaos that is happening.”
Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.