Voto Latino is endorsing Vice President Harris on Monday in her bid for the White House, donating its entire 2024 campaign budget to her cause.
The civic engagement group, a key player in the Latino political campaign, has supported President Biden’s reelection efforts and is a fierce opponent of former President Trump.
“While far-right extremists seek to demonize immigrants, destroy our democracy and restrict our rights at every turn, Vice President Kamala Harris has led the defense of our multicultural democracy. Your long-standing support for American workers, voting rights, DACA and women’s rights has done our country and the Latino community a lot of good – and it has never been more important,” said María Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino.
The Voto Latino campaign in 2024 is hitting the road, after a mostly digital 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“In 2020, Voto Latino supported Joe Biden in the face of an unprecedented threat to our community and our country. His exceptional tenure has earned our admiration and respect,” Kumar said in a statement Sunday following Biden’s announcement that he would no longer seek re-election.
“Now, more than ever, we must unite our efforts to ensure that Trump is not elected in November. The stakes have never been higher. If Trump returns to the White House, he will execute his anti-democracy and extremist platform. He will continue to dehumanize immigrants and send our military to arrest people they deem undocumented. Trump will also expand the cottage industry of detention centers across the country where no one is safe – US citizens or not,” Kumar said on Sunday.
Kumar told The Hill last month that Voto Latino is on track to raise and spend $44 million, up from $36 million four years ago.
The group plans to focus on young Hispanic voters with anti-misinformation, registration and mobilization campaigns in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
These efforts, The Hill has learned, will be geared toward electing Harris, who has a long-standing relationship with Voto Latino.
“The vice president has been a long-time friend of Voto Latino since our creation 20 years ago. She has been a supporter, advisor and advocate for equal rights for the most marginalized among us, demonstrating that she will be a president for all Americans,” said Kumar.
“We had the great privilege of traveling with the Vice President for her on-campus conversations with young Americans about the most pressing issues facing her generation. I have witnessed firsthand how she energizes young voters – the same voters who will determine the fate of our country in November.”
Key players in the Latino political sphere lined up behind Harris soon after Biden endorsed her as his successor.
Groups such as UnidosUS Action Fund, Latino Victory Fund, Bold PAC – the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus – Nuestro PAC, Poder PAC and CASA in Action all pledged to Harris between Sunday and Monday.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
