Vice President Kamala Harris participated in Univision’s presidential town hall in Las Vegas on October 10 as part of her latest effort to woo undecided Hispanic voters who could have a significant impact in the upcoming election.
Enrique Acevedo, a host from Mexico, moderated the town hall, which was attended by nearly 100 Hispanic voters from across the country.
Harris answered questions about health care policy, immigration, inflation, abortion rights and the federal government’s response to recent hurricanes. She defended her immigration policies and reiterated her support for “Dreamers,” saying they should be on the path to earning their citizenship.
She also spoke about the border bill negotiated in the Senate earlier this year, blaming former President Donald Trump, her election rival, for derailing it.
One notable moment came when a voter asked the Democratic nominee to name three virtues of Trump.
“I think Donald Trump loves his family, and I think that’s really important,” Harris responded.
However, she said she didn’t know the Republican candidate well enough. “I don’t have much to offer you anymore,” Harris said.
In another notable moment, an undecided voter expressed frustration with the way President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and questioned how Harris became the party’s nominee.
Harris thanked the voter for his “candor” and praised Biden for making a decision she believed history would recognize as “one of the bravest a president can make.”
The vice president added that she had been “partners” with Biden over the past four years and that she was “honored to have earned the Democratic nomination.” She also noted that numerous individuals and organizations, including several Republicans, had supported her.
Following the event, Harris flew to Phoenix for a rally in another swing state.
Latino voters have historically favored Democrats and played a significant role in key swing states. In Arizona and Nevada, Latinos account for 25 percent and 22 percent of eligible voters, respectively.
According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of Hispanic voters (59 percent) supported Joe Biden in 2020.
A recent survey, however, shows the Republican candidate gaining support among this key Democratic voter group, narrowing the gap with Harris.
According to the latest Economist/YouGov poll conducted in October, 48 percent of Hispanic voters supported Harris, while 43 percent supported Trump. This marks a significant drop in support for Harris compared to the same organization’s Sept. 15-17 poll, which put her support at 60 percent and Trump’s at 32 percent.
Harris’s low support is most pronounced among young Hispanic men, according to a new Suffolk University survey
In Arizona, for example, 51 percent of Latino men aged 18-34 supported Trump, while 39 percent in the same age group supported Harris. A similar trend was seen in Nevada, where 53 percent of Latino men aged 18-34 supported Trump, compared to 40 percent for Harris.
Univision announced that it would host a town hall with Trump in Miami on Oct. 16. The Trump campaign reportedly preferred Miami, home to a large population of Cuban-Americans.
The Spanish-language network previously announced that it would not fact-check candidates on stage during town halls.
Harris will also participate in CNN’s live town hall meeting in Pennsylvania on Oct. 23, according to the network.
Nationally, Harris and Trump are currently in a neck-and-neck race, with 49 percent saying they would vote for the vice president and 47.2 percent supporting the former president, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.
An estimated 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote this year, a new record, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Since the 2020 presidential election, the number of Latino eligible voters has grown by 12 percent, the second-fastest growth rate of any major racial or ethnic group in the U.S. electorate, the survey found. The Asian electorate grew by 15 percent.
Latinos are expected to make up nearly 15 percent of all eligible voters nationwide in November 2024, and will play a crucial role in determining who becomes president.