Vice President Kamala Harris is struggling to garner support from Latino voters, with her popularity slipping significantly in recent months, according to a survey conducted by the New York Times / Siena College. The survey indicates that Harris has lost considerable ground among this key demographic group, while former President Donald Trump continues to build his support base within the community.
In 2016, 68% of Latino voters backed the Democratic nominee. This figure dropped to 62% in 2020 and has now fallen further to 56. Meanwhile, the Republican Party has seen a steady increase in support over the years. In 2016, Trump earned 28% support from Latino voters, which rose to 36% in 2020. As of the most recent survey, he now boasts 37% support among this group.
Throughout his three presidential campaigns, Trump focused on immigration issues, targeting illegal migrants and criticizing the U.S.-Mexico border as a source of porous open borders responsible for the influx and deportation of those who have used them to enter the country. Last week, Harris attempted to win over Latino voters by participating in a town hall hosted by Univision, an American Spanish-language network, where she addressed issues related to immigration, the economy, and reproductive rights.
Despite these efforts, a Wall Street Journal analysis from early September revealed that Harris had been unable to claw back Trump’s gains with black, Latino, and young voters. An Equis poll released in June found that Latinos trust Trump more than Biden when it comes to immigration. The Times survey was conducted between September 29th and October 6th among a sample of 902 Hispanic voters, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.