Democratic officials and community leaders are "worried" that Vice President Kamala Harris is not doing enough to court Latino voters in Pennsylvania, warning that the declining support could hurt her prospects in the crucial battleground state.
"Yes, I am concerned, I am worried. … The Harris campaign needs to continue and do better at getting to the [Latino] community, getting them out to vote," said Victor Martinez, a Spanish radio station owner who appeared in a pro-Harris TV ad. "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."
Several Latino leaders voiced their concerns directly to Harris staffers and campaign allies at a Hispanic reception earlier this month in Philadelphia, two attendees told Politico. A dozen Latino Democratic officials and strategists in the key swing state expressed fears that Harris is losing crucial support, particularly among Latino men.
One Pennsylvania elected official urged the Harris campaign to "[ramp] up with the Latinos" in the remaining three weeks, while another leader said the campaign needs to help get "Latino men over whatever issues they have about electing a woman as president."
While Harris maintains a majority of support among Latino voters both in Pennsylvania and nationwide, any erosion in that backing could prove costly in the razor-thin race for the White House.
"We don’t hold on to Nevada or Arizona or Pennsylvania, much less have a chance in Georgia, unless we turn out the Latino community for Harris," a Democratic pollster told Politico.
A New York Times poll last week found Harris struggling to secure strong support from Latino voters, a traditionally Democratic base. Harris now holds just a 19-percentage-point lead over Trump among the demographic, down from President Joe Biden’s 26-percentage-point margin in 2020.
Rising grocery and gas prices under the Biden-Harris administration have contributed to a shift toward Trump among Latino men, who consider the economy the most pressing issue as the election approaches, Politico reported.
"I think that a lot of people in the Latino community, they’re feeling that we’re living check to check, and they’re struggling. When we see how much support goes elsewhere, you hear people say, ‘What about us?’" a Latino leader in Pennsylvania said.