Latinos in These Two Swing States Favor Biden

When presented with a list of qualities they look for in a president, respondents of a new poll chose Joe Biden over Trump by double-digit margins on several key issues.

As Latinos in the Democratic Party continue to organize their push for a win in November’s general presidential election, the results of a new poll are encouraging for presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden. 

Although a May 20 Latino Decisions poll shows that 17% of Latinos in the United States are undecided on who they will vote for in November, a May 26 survey conducted on behalf of Priorities USA and Latino Victory Fund in two crucial swing states, Florida and Arizona, appears to tell a different story.

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According to the new poll, Latino voters are beginning to show a definite preference for the former vice president, with 55% of Arizona Latinos and 54% of Florida Latinos viewing Biden favorably, while only 26% and 38% of respondents in those states, respectively, have a favorable opinion of Donald Trump.

Trump received just 32% of Arizona Latinos and 42% of Florida Latinos’ approval of how he is handling his job as president.  

Trump’s Coronavirus Disaster

This may be in great part due to how Latinos view the president’s ineffective response to the coronavirus pandemic. A whopping 57% of Arizonans and 56% of Floridians believe that coronavirus is the most important issue affecting them at the time. 

When added to the fact that more than two-thirds of poll respondents agree that Trump “ignored early warning signs of coronavirus, and because of his delays and incompetent response thousands of Americans are now sick and dying,” it becomes clear why Latinos give the president low marks for his management of the crisis. His approval rating on the issue of coronavirus is underwater with Arizona and Florida voters, where his disapproval rate for his handling of the crisis stands at 58% and 54% respectively.

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An Opening for Democrats

However, there is one instance where Trump’s approval numbers are above water. Fifty percent of Florida Latinos approve of the president’s handling of the economy, compared to 44% who disapprove.

According to the poll’s own analysis, this may be because some voters “do not yet fully hold him accountable for the negative economic effects caused by his incompetent response to the pandemic” which has so far claimed more than 100,000 lives in the U.S. alone. The measures taken to stem the spread of the virus which forced states to close and businesses to shutter created the biggest economic crisis to hit the U.S. since the Great Depression. Only 38% of Arizonans approve of the president’s performance on the economy.

But Trump’s tide may be about to turn. In the survey, when Latino voters were asked which candidate would be better at “helping workers and small businesses that are hurting because of the coronavirus outbreak,” Joe Biden held a substantial lead over Trump: 13 points in Florida and 26 in Arizona.

And when survey respondents were presented with a list of qualities they look for in a president, Biden again bested Trump by double-digit margins on several key issues:

Having the right temperament for the presidency, where Biden scored 61% in Arizona and 47% in Florida, versus Trump, who was underwater with 11% in Arizona and 20% in Florida. When it came to “providing the kind of leadership the country needs,” Biden again bested Trump, with 51% in Arizona and 44% in Florida, while Trump trailed with 18% in Arizona and 25% in Florida.

When asked who has the capacity to protect the country’s health in an emergency like the coronavirus, Arizona gave Biden 50% while Florida awarded him 44% vs Trump, who received 20% from Arizonans and 24% from Floridians.