PHOENIX — Miguel Gonzalez, 23, recently voted for former President Donald Trump, his first time voting Republican.
“The last four years have been tough for me financially. I literally can’t afford to vote for the same thing anymore,” explained Gonzalez, who voted for President Joe Biden last time.
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The college graduate, whose father immigrated to the United States from Mexico, said he is struggling with job security and inflation. He moved in with his parents this year to save money.
“I know President Trump is harsh, but all of that used to bother me,” he explained. “But when I look around my community, I see that we are all struggling in ways that have not happened under President Trump.”
The sentiment reflects a persistent problem for Vice President Kamala Harris, who returns to the battleground state of Arizona on Thursday. Harris is already addressing a historic national gender gap in which women are far more likely to support than men, and Latinos and Hispanics, who have traditionally supported Democrats reliably, is losing support from voters.
Trump is also scheduled to visit the Grand Canyon State on Thursday, where he leads Harris by 2.5 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics polling average. One recent poll showed Ms. Harris leading the presidential candidate by just over 3 percentage points among Latino voters, making Mr. Trump optimistic that he would win the state back on November 5th.
Mr. Trump’s appeal to Latino men is largely economic, calling for lower inflation, building opportunity and a return to wallet-friendly policies. Republican candidates have railed against open borders, arguing that illegal immigrants are stealing jobs and taxes.
Darryl Parker, who owns NAPA Auto Parts in Cottonwood, said he’s tired of the economic situation of the past four years.
“I’m Hispanic, yo hablo español también,” he said, noting that he also speaks Spanish.
The 41-year-old second-generation American said he is frustrated by the state’s border crisis, noting that his mother legally immigrated from Mexico.
“She did it the right way. It took her 30 years to get her citizenship,” Parker said before a rally in Prescott Valley on Oct. 13, wearing a Trump 2020 T-shirt. .
“I feel like immigrants are just taking from the people who live here. We work every day, we pay taxes, food prices go up, we have to pay higher insurance premiums. I just don’t get a break,” he added.
Darryl Parker, 41, spoke to the Washington Examiner ahead of a Trump rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona. October 13 (Amy Delora, Washington Examiner)
Arizona has the largest Latino population of any battleground state, with Hispanic voters making up about a quarter of the electorate and doubling since 2000, according to the Institute for Latin American Policy and Politics. It turns out that Latina women consistently vote Democratic by larger margins than men and have higher turnout rates.
However, Latino men have traditionally been more popular and less predictable when it comes to turnout. This demographic could prove especially influential in a state where Biden won by 10,457 votes, or 0.3% of about 3.4 million votes cast.
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About 33% of Latinos in Arizona voted for Trump in 2020, up from 30% in 2016, according to the Association of American States/Council of the Americas. Polls suggest President Trump will improve on those numbers in 2024.
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Harris will return to the Southwest on Thursday to make a special appeal to Hispanic and Latino voters. Mexican groups Los Tigres del Norte and Mana will join Harris at rallies in the battleground states of Phoenix and Las Vegas, respectively. Puerto Rican pop star Jennifer Lopez is also scheduled to speak at the Nevada event.
Harris’ campaign said having two Mexican music groups working with her in the days before the election could appeal to different generations.
“Mana appeals to the younger generation of Latin Americans. They were big in the ’90s, and Los Tigres del Norte has been big since the ’80s,” said a source familiar with the Arizona election campaign. he said.
The Harris-Waltz campaign hired an artist to paint the mural in Tucson, Arizona, to target Latino and Spanish-speaking voters. (Harris Waltz Campaign)
Earlier this month, the Harris campaign launched Hombres Con Harris, a new initiative that mobilizes supporters across battleground states to talk directly with Latino men about the stakes in this election. Last week, the campaign announced the “Harris Opportunity Agenda for Latino Men.” It’s a set of proposals to expand investment in “Latino and other entrepreneurs” and increase homeownership for Latino families.
The plan promises to create 2 million jobs by increasing training program opportunities and eliminating “unnecessary college degree requirements” from 500,000 federal jobs.
The campaign relies on a complex ground operation, with Spanish phone banks open six days a week and bilingual organizers and volunteers knocking on doors in predominantly Spanish-speaking areas. They are also coordinating with the U.S. Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who should defeat Republican Kari Lake next week to become the first Latino senator from Arizona. Become an American.
A presidential election poster of the “Latinx CON Harris Waltz” held aloft by the audience at the “Rally for Freedom to Vote” held in San Antonio, Texas, USA on September 23, 2024. (Photo by Carlos Kosienski/Sipa USA) (Sipa) via AP Images)
“There is a misconception that Latinos are more tolerant of President Trump than they have been in years past, which is why we created the Hombre for Harris,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. state) told the Washington Review Committee at Harris’ rally. Chandler, October 10th. “We put out a great message under Kamala Harris that there will be more job opportunities.”
Padilla said the campaign is working to resonate with Latino voters, particularly Latino men, in a variety of settings.
“We’re on TV, we’re on the radio, we’re on social media. But whether it’s a barbershop, a sports bar, or a big family gathering, the campaign is there to interact with people. “Latino voters,” he said.
Alejandro Corona, 36, is a Mexican-born independent voter who is now a naturalized citizen and lives in Phoenix. He said he voted early for Harris this week, emphasizing that she was “the only choice.”
“I’m an immigrant, and everything that’s said about immigrants is directed at me. (Trump) doesn’t represent me,” Corona said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “Trump does not represent my values, education, or morals, so I cannot vote for him.”
Mr. Corona, who earned a double degree in journalism and Spanish literature and education from the University of Arizona, suffered financial hardship early in his career as he took low-paying jobs in journalism and teaching.
At times, he worked as a server at a restaurant to make ends meet and pay off his student loans. After years of hard work, he finally landed a well-paying job as a recruitment specialist at a global engineering company.
He said he doesn’t understand the economic arguments some Hispanic voters are making to justify voting for Trump, arguing that this election is about more than that.
“I think they don’t see the big picture. They’re selfish. Why? Because they only think about their own well-being and their personal position at the time, and they don’t care about our community, about me. “They don’t think about our culture and the damage that could continue in the future if Trump becomes president again,” he said.
At the same Harris rally on an Indian reservation earlier this month, her Latino voters openly questioned why men seemed to be drifting toward Republican candidates this term. .
“I don’t understand why Trump seems to be doing so well with Latino men,” said Jose Melendez, 20, a University of Arizona student voting for the first time.
“I was in eighth grade when Trump first started appearing, and I feel like even then I had the ability to distinguish between facts and what Trump was saying,” Melendez added.
Frank Grijalva, 65, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Tucson, said he is concerned about President Trump’s growing influence against Latinos.
“The more he lies and says it, the more people think it’s true. Unfortunately, my community is susceptible to that,” said Grijalva, who voted early for Harris. Ta.
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Trump will also head to the Southwest on Thursday with former Fox News anchor and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.
Carlson will host the Glendale event at Desert Diamond Arena, which will feature a live interview with Trump. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to those affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helen.
The Trump campaign in Arizona said it is working to involve Latino voters in events, rallies, door-to-door canvassing, phone banking and attending festivals and parades. The campaign includes weekly phone banking in Spain and meetings with Hispanic business and faith leaders.
Jamie Flores, the Trump campaign’s Hispanic communications director, said voters’ primary concerns are the same regardless of race, gender or ethnicity.
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Flores said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that voters of all backgrounds are “constantly affected by a dire economy, an unprecedented border crisis, and skyrocketing crime rates across the country.”
“President Trump is proving the solution to all of these problems, and his message resonates with all communities, especially Hispanics. Their incomes have increased during his presidency. , unemployment rates were at their lowest, and more Latino families than ever before were able to buy homes.
“Our campaign message is clear: We can return to the prosperous times we lived under the Trump administration. When inflation was below the Fed’s target, we could safely life and the world was at peace,” Flores added.
This summer, the Trump campaign changed the name of its Hispanic aid from “Latinos for Trump” to “Latinos for Trump” to emphasize that Latinos are Americans. did.
Mike Madrid, a longtime Republican, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and author of “The Latino Century,” said the growth of the Latino electorate is also occurring in the third generation and beyond. He emphasized communication between the Trump campaign and this group. Voter share was particularly effective.
“So the Democrats are making a distinction and saying, ‘You’re separate people, you’re unique, you’re different, you speak Spanish, you’re just part of this diaspora.’ “Republicans are saying exactly the opposite,” he said. “They’re saying, ‘You’re American, you identify as American, you’re going to be forced to have this message that says you’re American.’ I think the message alone can be very effective.”
Click here to read the full Washington Examiner article
At Trump’s final rally in northern Arizona two weeks ago, Parker, a Hispanic supporter, said the campaign’s strategy was working.
“He’s not necessarily trying to appeal directly to Latinos. He’s trying to appeal to everyone,” said Parker, who stood with her son ahead of the event. “Just look around this crowd and you’ll see everything. It tells you everything you need to know.”