Attend the National Boricua Town Hall

There are less than 30 days until Election Day in the United States and Puerto Rico. It’s been a whirlwind of a cycle (when isn’t it?), and it’s clear that Puerto Ricans will play a crucial role. I mean, just Pennsylvania alone, right?

So, let’s talk about the issues with the National Boricua Town Hall that I will be moderating on October 16. This is a virtual event organized by Power 4 Puerto Rico and its allies. As the official Eventbrite invite says, “You'll hear from experts on Puerto Rican demographics and voter power in the United States, the issues our people are concerned about, and what's unfolding in the elections on the Island.”

Guests include Dr. Carlos Vargas Ramos, Director of Policy at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. I will be moderating the first part of the conversation and Q&A. If you want a chance to have your question included, click on this RSVP link. 

Fox News in Spanish?

From Axios, “Fox News Media will launch a daily Spanish-language news show called ‘Fox Noticias’ that will air on Fox Corp.'s Spanish-language sports cable network Fox Deportes, executives told Axios. Ahead of the debut next week, Fox News will also unveil a Spanish-language version of its website.”

As if on cue, I was instantly brought back to the time 14 years ago when Fox News Latino launched and eventually ended. Then I saw what reporter (and friend) Adrian Carrasquillo shared on Twitter about the new Fox Noticias. Adrian was one of the original members of Fox News Latino.

This will be “interesting” to follow.

Mijente Texas Latino Poll

On Wednesday, the progressive organization Mijente released the findings of a new Texas poll of 800 Latino voters. Here are some of the findings of that poll, according to a media release:

• While the economy remains the top issue for Texas Latino voters, neither Democrats nor Republicans have earned their full trust to address these concerns.

• Vice President Kamala Harris is favored over former President Donald Trump among Latino voters, with 54%  expressing a preference for Harris compared to 41% for Trump.

• The top issues influencing voting decisions are jobs and the economy (18%), abortion access (13%), and immigration and border security (10%).

• 73% of respondents believe that controlling inflation and reducing the cost of everyday items is critical to improving the economy.

•  58% of respondents hold an unfavorable view of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, with 48% strongly unfavorable. Additionally, 60% believe Texas is on the wrong track, reflecting dissatisfaction with the state's current leadership.

• 81% of respondents support prioritizing creating a pathway to legal status for immigrants; 79% believe in creating more opportunities for immigrants to enter the U.S. legally; and 67% believe we need to reform our immigration system over prioritizing more restrictive border policies.

• On three key issues, Latinos trust Democrats more on healthcare access (56% trust Democrats, 27% trust Republicans), reproductive rights (60% trust Democrats, 27% trust Republicans), and gun safety (49% trust Democrats, 36% trust Republicans).

• Respondents do not trust either party to handle economic issues such as improving the Texas power grid (41% trust Democrats, 29% trust Republicans), reducing inflation (45% trust Democrats, 39% trust Republicans), creating good-paying jobs and economic opportunities (44% trust Democrats, 37% trust Republicans), and reforming the immigration system (45% trust Democrats, 41% trust Republicans).

“People in Texas are struggling. When asked about their personal economic situation, almost 80% of respondents said they can’t afford groceries and gas,” Mayra Lopez-Zuñiga, Political Strategist, said in the official release. “They feel stuck. While many of their values align with Democrats, they don’t have faith in either party to deliver for underserved Latinos. We’re losing more of our gente’s vote to the Republican Party because they don’t see real solutions for their everyday needs. Latino voters hold the power to reshape this state and transform our country's politics for years to come. Unless Democrats offer bold solutions that lift Latinos out of poverty or provide real solutions to the broken immigration system, they will keep losing Latino votes.”

You can access the complete poll below.

What We’re Reading

Hurricane Milton: There are so many friends and family in Florida that I am thinking about the next few days.

Stay safe.

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and interim publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

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