Trump's path to win Latino voters lies in the economy, Monica De La Cruz says

Why it matters: Latino voters overall still align more closely with Democrats on character and policy issues. But if Latino Republicans turn out with more intensity, it could be decisive.

• The findings suggest an opportunity for Trump — and newly announced running mate U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) — to court more support by re-branding the GOP around upward mobility for Latinos.

The big picture: Belief in their candidate and a drive to improve their personal economic status are fueling Latino Republicans' enthusiasm gap, the Axios Vibes survey found.

What they're saying: De La Cruz, who represents areas like Seguin and Floresville and down to the Texas-Mexico border, says Hispanic voters in her community care about what candidates do, not what they say.

• When Democrats focus on Trump's rhetoric, they miss an opportunity to connect with Latino voters, she says.

• "As Hispanics, we have bigger families, more mouths to feed. And so at the end of the day, it's who is going to help me put food on the table."

Latino voters prioritize the economy three times as much as immigration or abortion, the survey found. That's a bigger gap than among non-Latino voters.

Go deeper: More on the new survey