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RNC Contacts 15.7 Million Hispanic Voters Ahead of Midterms

Republicans say 1 out of every 4 voters contacted are from Hispanic communities

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October 29, 2018

More than 1 in 4 of the 58 million voters contacted by the Republican National Committee this cycle have been Hispanics, according to numbers shared with the Washington Free Beacon.

The RNC says it has already seen results from the 15.7 million contacts it has made in the Hispanic community either by phone or in person. It points to an uptick in President Donald Trump's approval rating among Hispanics, which it credits to both its outreach and to successful policies.

"The effective policies of the Trump administration on behalf of our community have led to record low unemployment of 4.5 percent and as a result, increased support from Hispanic voters across the country," said Yali Nuñez, the RNC's director of Hispanic media. "We remain focused on advocating for policies and candidates that empower the Hispanic community."

"This cycle, our ground game is unprecedented and our supporters are energized like never before," said Nuñez. "The RNC is proud of its ongoing and longstanding commitment to Hispanic voters."

The main site of its outreach to Hispanic voters has been Florida, where the party has placed 90 staffers, 19 of whom are Hispanic. There has been a concerted effort to engage with the state's growing Puerto Rican population.

"We’re making sure that passionate Florida Republicans have the tools they need to identify and connect with new Puerto Rican voters and provide them with support as they settle in to the Sunshine State," said Gary Berrios, the party's director of Puerto Rican engagement.

Berrios says Republicans have had a presence at 50 Puerto Rican engagement events in the past four months.

Florida's Republican governor Rick Scott, on the ballot this cycle as a Senate candidate, has also been able to make inroads in the Puerto Rican community through his work to help the island recover from Hurricane Maria.

On Saturday, Scott received the endorsement from Puerto Rico's former governor Carlos Romero Barceló, a Democrat.

"As a Democrat all my life, I value actions over words, and Governor Scott truly puts people above political partisanship," Barceló said in his endorsement, given in Spanish. "He has demonstrated time and time again that he is truly a partner and friend to the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico."

"Nobody has helped Puerto Rico as much as Gov. Scott," Barceló said.

The Democratic Party was criticized last week by the Intercept for not doing enough to court Hispanic voters, who are seen as "critical to the party’s chances of retaking the House or the Senate."

A DNC official who spoke anonymously said the committee didn't "necessarily have the resources that the RNC has had this year" to create a competitive Hispanic outreach infrastructure.

The DNC has $20 million less in its account than the RNC entering the final weeks of the campaign. The DNC has spent $130 million less than the RNC so far this cycle, according to election filings.

Published under: 2018 Election