Latinos Demanded Action, Not Promises, on Economy

Opinion for The Latino Newsletter

For Latino voters, this election was always about how inflation impacted their everyday lives and economic choices. In polls going back to 2021 and leading up to the 2022 midterm election, Latino voters consistently indicated that the economy was their number one issue, which continues to be so. This election's Latino voter preferences shouldn't have come as a surprise. Historically, presidents who oversaw periods of high inflation often faced challenges in subsequent elections. 

Let's remember that Donald Trump did not win the Latino vote. Still, the percentage gains were significant enough to panic Democratic strategists, who viewed this as a moment of reckoning. Undoubtedly, this election marked a pivotal moment in how campaigns reach out to the Latino community.

Moving forward, Democrats can no longer take the Latino vote as a given, and this presents an opportunity for accountability to both parties. 

For Democrats, it’s about accountability for their lack of investment in Latino voters. For Trump, it’s about accountability for delivering on economic promises and ensuring Latinos have a seat at the table.

The mission of the nonprofit I lead, Latino Prosperity, is to guarantee that Latinos and Latinas are represented in key government roles that shape economic policy—and, in turn, the economic futures of our community.

With this in mind, I can state the following with certainty: Bidenomics didn't connect with Latino voters.

The Biden/Harris administration made historic investments in the American economy. The administration passed the American Rescue Plan, which invested $1.9 trillion into economic stimulus to help prevent a recession from the pandemic. They also passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which led to necessary investments in the green economy. The stock market surged forward, unemployment was near a 50-year low, and Biden’s economic policies created over 13 million jobs.  Nearly 800,000 jobs were in manufacturing, which helped working-class families and communities. 

As the voting numbers demonstrated, the Latino community, and many others, didn't embrace the Democratic Party's economic message. The reasons for that may vary, but it ultimately boiled down to inflation and the high cost of essential goods like milk, bread, meats, eggs, and other commodities like housing, insurance, and healthcare. 

The Democratic messaging assumed that Latinos would identify with overarching job growth statistics or long-term infrastructure investments.

They didn't.

These policies and messaging could not have an impact on their everyday lives. All that Latinos could see was a reduction in their purchasing power and the “American Dream” slipping away. 

A pre-election UnidosUS poll identified the top issues (in order) for the Latino electorate: inflation and the rising cost of living, jobs and the economy, lack of affordable housing and high rents, healthcare, immigration, and border security. 

The one issue missing, though, that needs to be listed but captures all is achieving the American Dream. Achieving it is significant for first-generation immigrant families. Homeownership is the most iconic representation of having made it in America. With inflation pinching every penny out of their wallet, Latino working-class families feel further away from achieving homeownership than ever before.  Latinos aren't giving up on the American Dream, so they looked for other options.

Bidenomics policies were necessary long-term investments that will be noticeable in years to come, but they have yet to translate into immediate solutions for working-class households. The Democratic message focused too much on other topics like democracy and reproductive rights. Those are important topics too, but it's easier to think of something else if you worry about renting the following month and covering your bills.

The bottom line is that the perception of Biden’s policy achievements did not align with the financial realities of working-class families. Meanwhile, Harris struggled to clearly convey how her approach would differ from Biden’s. 

Latino voters sent a powerful message: their economic struggles and aspirations are their priority. Navigating a post-COVID economy has been challenging for Latino families, and leaders in both parties must recognize that this was a call to action. Democrats have to realize that their message did not connect with the majority of Americans and nearly half of the Latino community. 

Let's be clear: this doesn't mean that Trump did a great job of reaching out to Latinos. He didn't. However, history will prove that this election marked when Latinos made it clear that campaigns must work hard to earn their vote.

About the Author

Orson Aguilar is President and CEO of Latino Prosperity, an organization dedicated to championing economic policies that create economic opportunity and wealth-building in the Latinx community. For more than 20 years, Orson has been a nationally recognized leader in economic justice and wealth-building for communities of color. He is the former President of the Greenlining Institute and Executive Director of the UnidosUS Action Fund.

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_{The Latino Newsletter welcomes opinion pieces in English and/or Spanish from community voices. You can email our publisher, Julio Ricardo Varela. The views expressed by outside opinion contributors do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of this outlet.}