Throughout the 2024 general election cycle, countless polls showed that Latinos' no. 1 priority was the economy and pocketbook issues, not immigration. Now, as the latter continues to be a controversial issue, with the Trump administration taking steps to crack down immigration, Democrats are catching up, trying to court Latinos through their economic plans and goals.
A September Pew Research Center poll showed that 85% of Latino voters viewed the economy as the most important issue of the 2024 presidential election, followed by health care (71%), violent crime (62%), gun policy (62%), and immigration (59%). Another November poll from UnidosUS showed 52% of respondents ranked inflation and cost of living as the most important issue of the elections, followed by jobs and the economy (36%), housing costs and affordability (27%) and health care costs (25%).
Donald Trump's victory, who as a candidate promised economic prosperity and a severe crackdown on immigration, helped solidify this view, bringing a record-number of Latinos to the polls last fall.
Because of this, liberal strategists, organizers and some politicians are urging Democrats to increasingly focus on the economy in this year's elections, rather than on immigration, a new report from The Associated Press explains. They argue that concrete plans on the economy can translate better across nationalities and cultures, unlike more controversial issues like immigration.
"Where we fell short was failing to fully appreciate the bread-and-butter economic issues that were driving them," said Tom Perez, a former Democratic National Committee chair who advised President Joe Biden. He is now co-chair of the American Bridge 21st Century, a group that does opposition research on Republicans. "Many folks felt like we were too focused on identity politics and not focused enough on the cost of eggs, the cost of gas, the cost of living."
Likewise, Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist who mobilized Latinos for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential bid in 2020 and for U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego last year, as well as started a super PAC to reach out to Latinos in key races, told the AP that Democrats "mess up by bringing a policy book to a boxing match."
"It's about three things: affordability, affordability, affordability," he said. "Affordability is the only thing that they care about because that's what's hitting them in the face every day."
The pivoted strategy will come to the center stage during New Jersey's primary for governor. The race is crowded among Democrats with different track records and points of view, including congressman Josh Gottheimer, Newark mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop, congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and former state Senate president Steve Sweeney.
Most notably, Sherrill has molded her campaign to focus on her military service while also arguing how she will stand up to Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk. One of her ads promises she will "drive down costs from health care to housing." On the other hand, Baraka has gained national attention for his pro-immigration activism, recently being arrested for protesting against U.S. immigration authorities' plans to open a detention facility in his city.
A new strategy could work for Democrats at this time, as the president is seeing collapsing approval ratings among Latinos. A May AP-NORC poll found that 38% of Hispanic adults approve of Trump's handling of the economy, which is roughly in line with U.S. adults overall.
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