In the fierce competition for vital Latino voters, the campaigns led by Harris and Trump vigorously engage in Pennsylvania's crucial battleground territory.
"The situation will likely revolve around our 'blue wall' states, specifically Pennsylvania," the Minnesota governor stated at Mofongo Restaurant as patrons enjoyed vibrantly colored beverages.
"Could even pass through here," he continued.
Simultaneously, just a few blocks away, a Trump campaign office buzzed with energy, as Latin supporters of the former president made calls in both English and Spanish.
Marcia Heras, an Ecuadorian immigrant, travelled an hour from Allentown to make these calls.
"Family, life, and the conclusion of war," Heras explained to CNN as the reasons for her support of Trump.
This brief portrayal of contrasting outreach initiatives on a rainy evening reveals the significant role of the Latino vote in both the Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns in Pennsylvania, a pivotal battleground state where the previous two presidential elections were decided by a solitary point.
A growing community
More than a million Hispanic or Latino individuals live in Pennsylvania, according to recent census figures, with the Pew Research Center estimating that 615,000 of them will be eligible to vote in November. Although the state predominantly remains White, Hispanic or Latino residents now account for about 9% of the population, according to census information, experiencing a growth of over 40% since 2010.
Much of this growth has occurred within the “222 Corridor,” a group of cities around US Route 222, such as Reading, Allentown, and Lancaster.
In 2020, Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by approximately 80,000 votes and carried the Latino vote comfortably, both in the commonwealth and nationally. Four years earlier, Trump had narrowly taken Pennsylvania while losing the Latino vote to Hillary Clinton.
Although Harris garnered strong support among registered Latino voters nationwide in a recent NBC News/Telemundo/CNBC survey, with 54% backing her against 40% for Trump, her 14-point margin fell behind that of previous Democratic presidential nominees with this demographic. Biden secured the Latino vote by 33 points in 2020, while Clinton achieved a margin of 38 points.
Even at a recent Harris campaign event in Allentown, hints of waning support amongst the numerous enthusiastic backers of the vice president emerged.
Hector Santana, who migrated from the Dominican Republic, told CNN that he has voted for Democrats for 20 years but remains undecided this year.
"I haven’t made up my mind yet because the fundamental basis I've always looked for is which candidate has the interests of Hispanic people at heart," Santana said in Spanish. "At the moment, I haven’t seen that from any candidate."
Bethlehem mortgage lender Carmen Dancsecs expressed concern that some Latino voters may abstain come November.
"I believe there are too many individuals who are on shaky ground. They aren’t sure where they stand," Dancsecs told CNN.
Multiple approaches for Harris
The Harris campaign is implementing various strategies to increase support amongst Pennsylvania Latino voters in the final weeks preceding Election Day.
These include dispatching campaign surrogates, acquiring more celebrity endorsements from the Latino community, and allocating more advertising resources toward Latino voters, as advised by several Harris advisors and allies.
"The more we're able to effectively convey the vice president's message regarding her background and commitment to standing up to adversaries, whether that was Wall Street banks during the mortgage crisis or unscrupulous for-profit universities exploiting their students, this is a message that resonates with Latino men and females," a senior Harris campaign advisor explained to CNN.
Last month, the campaign announced plans to invest $3 million in new Spanish-language radio advertisements between September 15 and October 15.
The campaign is also organizing more rallies and events in the battleground state. At a rally last month in Bethlehem, Walz attempted to appeal to Puerto Rican voters, who make up over half of the eligible Latino voters in Pennsylvania.
"We acknowledge the painful anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall, which continues to have a devastating impact. In March, Vice President Harris visited San Juan. She pledged to continue supporting recovery efforts, and once we're in the White House, you can rely on our support," Walz stated.
"Hamilton" actor Anthony Ramos, who joined Walz at the rally, had a specific message for Latino voters.
"I sense the passion in the room, and so many individuals here have different colors and races. ... We are all here together, right? That is what our nation is about," he said. "Let me encourage you all, don’t just vote; vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz."
A senior Harris advisor mentioned that as the campaign seeks additional celebrity endorsements from the Latino community, it will utilize social media influencers with substantial followings to aid in amplifying the vice president's message. For instance, in August, Harris collaborated with content creator Carlos Eduardo Espina, who boasts over 10 million followers on TikTok, to discuss why Latinos should support her.
"When an election will be decided by slim margins, every detail matters. And, obviously, they'll make every effort to secure Bad Bunny's endorsement," Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator Maria Cardona stated. "At the same time, we know that the most important thing is for the campaign to engage directly with these voters through surrogates, Kamala, or local representatives."
Trump's political endeavors have also been involving prominent figures to attract more Latino voters.
The presidential candidate has secured the backing of three prominent reggaeton artists – Nicky Jam, Justin Quiles and Anuel AA. Anuel even joined Trump at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in August. He urged his Puerto Rican followers, "Let's stay united, let's vote for Trump," and shared his personal interactions with the former president, stating, "He wants to help Puerto Rico grow."
Nicky Jam addressed a Trump rally in Las Vegas, where the president mistakenly identified him as a female and invited him to the stage. Subsequently, Nicky Jam erased his Instagram post endorsing Trump, but Mexican band Maná terminated their collaboration with him, referring to him as a racist in a Spanish message.
During an August rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Trump introduced Daniel Campo, a Venezuelan-born pilot who became an American citizen in 2022. Campo assists the Trump campaign in canvassing Latino neighborhoods, particularly in Allentown, talking to voters about the former president's platform. People often question Campo about Trump's alleged prejudice against Latinos.
"I'm a Latino. He invited me to speak at his rally," Campo replied. "He also offered positive remarks about me in front of everyone, so if he held a grudge against Latinos, he wouldn't have invited me, and he certainly wouldn't have praised me afterwards."
Campo says he encounters individuals concerned with Trump's "attitude."
"Would you invite him to your wedding or birthday party? Or your kid's birthday party?" Campo asks them. "They chuckle. They laugh. They say, 'No, not really.'"
"I then say, so you're hiring him for a job, right?" Campo continues. "They agree. They remember him performing his duties effectively four years ago, while you saw Harris working during the same period – where did they shine brighter?"
In light of the importance of the Latino vote in Pennsylvania, the political landscape is becoming increasingly strategic.
Candidates are recognizing the growing Latino population in the state, with over a million Hispanic or Latino individuals living in Pennsylvania and 615,000 of them eligible to vote in November, according to the Pew Research Center.
'Politics' in this context, refers to the strategic maneuvering and initiatives by political candidates to gain support from this significant voting demographic.
