Kamala Harris has deep history of appealing to Latino voters
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Vice President Kamala Harris (center) with U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (left) and U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragan at the end of a community discussion organized by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Nov. 27 in Houston. Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris is launching her bid for the U.S. presidency with an advantage that former President Trump and President Biden never had: a long history of appealing to Latino voters.
Why it matters: To win crucial swing states, Harris will have to drive Latino turnout in urban centers like Phoenix, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Detroit.
- Harris has a track record of turning out Latino voters in California— which has the country's largest Hispanic population — in 2010, 2014 and 2016, political analysts say.
Catch up quick: Since Biden endorsed Harris for president on Sunday, Latino Democrats like Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.), U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro (Texas) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) declared their support for her.
- Left-leaning Latino groups like Voto Latino and the United Farm Workers quickly announced their endorsement of Harris. BOLD PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, also jumped behind her.
- "BOLD PAC will remain laser-focused on doing what it takes to ensure that Trump remains a one-term president," BOLD PAC Chairwoman Linda Sánchez said in a statement. "Vice President Harris is the leader we stand behind at this critical moment."
State of play: The Harris endorsements come after she's toured the country, especially in communities of color, to tout Biden's economic policies.
- But polls show that a significant number of Latinos nationwide don't have an opinion of her — something she'll need to reverse in a national contest.
Flashback: Harris won a majority of support from Latino voters in 2010 and 2014 in elections for California's Attorney General.
- In 2016, as she ran to represent California in the U.S. Senate, polls showed Harris breaking even or surpassing the popular Loretta Sanchez, per the polling firm Latino Decisions.
- Harris was pushed over the finish line with Latinos thanks to the support of labor icon Dolores Huerta, who would also support Harris during her failed 2020 Democratic presidential run.
Yes, but: Harris faced criticism from some Latinos in 2021 for telling Guatemalans "do not come" to the U.S. on her first international trip as vice president amid a migration increase at the U.S.-Mexico border. Harris was assigned to tackle the root causes of migration.
- Some activists felt the remarks were insensitive and a change from her previous campaign speeches, in which she had defended undocumented migrants.
- Harris was also attacked by Latino and Black parents for an anti-truancy program she pushed for in the state legislature when she was California's attorney general.
What they're saying: Those criticisms occurred a lifetime ago in politics, and Harris still has the upper hand with Latino voters over Trump because of her overall record, University of Houston political science professor Jeronimo Cortina tells Axios.
- "African Americans and Latinos were not very enthusiastic about supporting Biden in a campaign that was kind of a disaster. Her record in California helps her, and she's generating more excitement."
- Cortina said that so far, there appears to be more enthusiasm from millenial and Gen Z Latinos about Harris because of her multiracial background and her family's immigrant story.
What we're watching: The GOP is already attacking Harris for role with immigration.
- Republicans say her efforts failed as unauthorized border crossings hit record high levels over the last couple of years.
- Cortina said he'd watch if Harris talks more about reducing poverty, especially among Latinos.
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