It’s well-known that the Latino vote generally leans left. But GOP primary candidates Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush are trying to change that.
Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, the two Republican presidential candidates seen as having the greatest chance to make inroads with the Latino vote that traditionally leans Democratic, recently stopped in Nevada, Bush showcasing his fluent Spanish and Rubio highlighting that he is the son of Cuban immigrants.
When Bush announced his candidacy, he did so in Miami with a Spanish-themed party, including signs marked “¡Jeb!”
There is speculation about whether Bush will ask Sandoval, the popular governor, to be his running mate. Bush’s son, George P., was in Reno last week, reminding people that his mom is from Mexico. “Claro que sí” — “of course” — the younger Bush said, when asked if his father would be speaking more Spanish, as he did at his campaign kickoff in Miami.
But it’s not just Republicans seeking the Hispanic vote. Hillary Clinton has been visiting states along the Mexican border, trying to appeal to immigrant voters.
“Not a single Republican candidate, announced or potential, is clearly and consistently supporting a path to citizenship. Not one,” Clinton said at a Nevada stop this month. “When they talk about ‘legal status,’ that is code for second-class status.”
We’ll see what this election brings for immigration changes.
