In poll of Latinos, Harris viewed more positively by women than men

WASHINGTON —  In new polling of Latinos, a solid majority of women have a positive opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris and a negative view of former President Trump, but men are more divided on both candidates, according to a recent survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Latino men are also more likely than Latinas to say Trump is the candidate who represents their views on key issues, underscoring the potential importance of this group, which both candidates have courted aggressively.

As the election approaches, the extent to which Trump can erode Harris’ support among Latino voters could be an important factor in swing states including Arizona. Latino voters are more supportive of the Democrats overall: According to the poll, nearly half identify as Democrats, about one-third as Republicans, and around 2 in 10 as independents. But the poll signals that Latino men, while not overwhelmingly in favor of Trump, are more open to his candidacy than Latinas — and less open to Harris’.

Antonio Melcon, 65, a Republican from Florida, said Trump has his vote because he is the best option for the country. In Melcon’s view, the Biden administration has taken the nation down a bad path, and Harris has done nothing to stop it.

“She wasn’t the one that implemented the route this country has taken, but she’s been there and done nothing that merits I vote for her,” Melcon said. “I would definitely never vote for her.”

Men and women have differing views on Harris

Overall, Latino voters are about equally likely to say they have a favorable view of Trump and Harris. But there is a gender divide among Latino voters on Harris: About 60% of Latinas have a somewhat or very favorable opinion of Harris, compared with 45% of Latino men.

Similarly, about half of Latina voters think Harris would make a good president, compared with about one-third of Latino men.

For some voters, one candidate may appear in a better light simply because they dislike the alternative. Sonia Montoya, a 68-year-old Democrat from Chicago, said that while she agrees with many of Harris’ policies, she still sees Harris as the lesser of two evils. Montoya said Harris is more human and has a better understanding of society, while she views Trump as “arrogant, a liar, a cheater.”

In addition to having warmer feelings toward Harris, about 6 in 10 Latina voters say Trump would not make a good president, compared with about half of Latino male voters.

About half of Latino men say “tough enough to be president” describes Trump extremely or very well, compared with about one-third of Latinas. Latino men are also more likely than Latinas to say Trump is the candidate who represents their views on important policies.

Plenty of Latino men, though, remain supportive of Harris and skeptical about Trump. Sebastian Diaz, 51 and an independent from Massachusetts, views Harris “somewhat favorably” because he agrees with her ideology. He said he has a “very unfavorable” view of Trump because he is “a racist bigot.”

The economy is a high priority for Latino voters

Despite some divisions in views of the candidates, though, Latino voters are largely in agreement that the economy is a major factor as they consider their options for president. Around 8 in 10 Latino voters say the economy is “one of the most important issues” in this election.

Daysi Garcia, 44, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said groceries have gotten so expensive that the candidates’ economic plans are guiding her vote. A self-proclaimed Democrat until last year, Garcia said that while she does not agree with all of Trump’s policies, she is unhappy with the Democrats and thinks Trump would be a better choice to run the country.

“It is so bad right now,” Garcia said. “It is so hard to do grocery shopping because everything is through the roof.”

Melcon agrees that the cost of living is too high. “The economy is the main thing for me,” he said. “The environment, immigration — which is also a problem — that’s second fiddle.”

About 6 in 10 Latino voters also say that healthcare or crime are among the most important issues for their vote, while about half say that about gun policy. Slightly less than half say abortion or immigration are among the most important. Latino voters are more likely than voters nationwide to see healthcare as a top voting priority.

Diaz said healthcare, like food and water, is a basic need for humans. “I think universal access to healthcare is incredibly important for the social development of a country,” Diaz said.

More Latino voters think Harris represents their culture

Harris has one potential advantage over Trump among Latino voters: About 4 in 10 say she is the candidate who better represents their background and culture, while about one-quarter say this about Trump. A sizable share are unconvinced that either candidate fits that description, though: About 3 in 10 say neither represents their background and culture.

The fact that Harris is the daughter of immigrants may give some Latino voters a sense of representation, civic engagement advocates say, even though she’s not Latino herself.

Montoya said that, as someone who is biracial, Harris represents her identity best. “She knows what it feels like to be insulted or put to the side or feel worthless because of prejudice in this world,” Montoya said. “I think she’ll fight harder for us than [Trump] ever would.”

Associated Press writers Figueroa reported from Austin and Sanders from Washington. The poll of 1,771 registered voters was conducted Sept. 12-16, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for registered voters is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.