With just five days until the election, Chicagoans have already cast more than 320,000 ballots. Among those early voters are Latinos, who make up an increasing number of voters across Illinois.
Both presidential candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, have made a point of reaching out to Latinos in the final days of the campaign in efforts to win them over.
Jose Sanchez Molina, a communications and political consultant, and José López, the executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, joined “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” to discuss where Latino communities stand.
The Harris Campaign
Sanchez Molina said that although Harris joined the campaign just three months ago, she gained attention for Democrats among Latinos quickly.
“She was also able to build on successfully, on some of the policy victories that we have had here in Illinois,” Sanchez Molina said. “Some of the same progressive milestones that she wants to achieve at the federal level. And so I think she was able to carry that energy over, not just to her campaign, but some of the other races that are up and down the ballot in other states.”
Sanchez Molina said Harris is focused on education, housing and access to small business ownership.
Campaign Remarks About Puerto Rico
López said after a comedian at a Trump rally called Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage” there should be no more confusion about how the campaign feels about Latinos.
“They show utter disrespect for us,” López said, “and our community responded, not only in Chicago, but throughout the country. For the first time, we really know publicly what he thinks. … I think that this has energized the community.”
López added that the current resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González-Colón, is a Republican who has shown support for Trump. Although González-Colón condemned the comments, López said Puerto Ricans are realizing it’s time to make a change.
Latino Engagement
Both Harris and Trump are engaging with Latinos in the final days before the election.
“The polls show that the race is pretty tight in some of those battle states within decimals of a percentage, and so they’re out there trying to win votes,” Sanchez Molina said. “I think what we want to see is Vice President Harris continue to tout some of the policy goals that she has in mind. And I think what President Trump is trying to do is say, ‘Forget about all the bad things that I’ve said. Economy, economy, economy.’ But I don’t think that’s going to resonate based off what was said a couple of days ago.”
