Pete Aguilar, representative of California’s 33rd Congressional District, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, visited downtown Philadelphia on Sunday, June 2, 2024, to campaign for President Biden and help turn out the Latino vote.
Covering the northeast region, Aguilar had been in New York earlier that day and in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. He is assisting President Biden by reminding Latino voters of the Biden-Harris record with the Latino community and the accomplishments of House Democrats, continuing his efforts up until Election Day in November.
Rep. Aguilar noted that the Democratic Party had begun losing ground with Latino voters, emphasizing that “the Latino vote is not monolithic. I think how we talk to voters, how we meet them where they are, and we talk about issues with them is really important.” He added, “There is no cookie-cutter way to talk about Latino issues. We realize that we need a plan to talk to those voters.”
While his party has faced recent challenges with Latino outreach, Latinos will continue to be central to a Biden victory, especially in six key toss-up states, including Pennsylvania.
With so much at stake, voices like Rep. Aguilar will be crucial for local outreach and messaging to win over new Latino voters and possibly bring others back into the Democratic fold, especially in states like Pennsylvania.
Addressing the diversity of the Latino voting demographic, Rep. Aguilar also highlighted the shared values that Latinos have with the larger population, particularly the belief in the American dream.
He noted that anyone, regardless of where they were born or their class background, can attain their version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work rather than chance. He emphasized that Latinos excel in their efforts to achieve this dream, often taking on 2-3 jobs if necessary.
Rep. Aguilar underscored the Biden-Harris record in supporting Latinos over the last four years, including over 5 million loans to Latino businesses, expanding access to health care, lowering drug prices for seniors, reducing the cost of insulin, providing student debt relief, creating well-paid jobs, and lowering Hispanic unemployment to its lowest rate in history. Although the Latino unemployment rate of 5.9% in Pennsylvania is higher than in other states, the overall rate of 4.1% is significantly lower than the high of 16.7% in 2020.
Rep. Aguilar argued that while sensible immigration reform is a pressing issue, it does not solely define the Latino community. Their issues encompass immigration but also align with those of the broader population. He believes that the Biden-Harris messaging on women’s rights, gun control, protecting the Affordable Care Act, capping insulin prices and creating new jobs will ultimately resonate with the diverse Latino voters.
Since the number of eligible Latino voters grew by 12% — nearly 4 million people — since the last presidential election, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center, the Biden-Harris campaign has positioned key Democrats, such as Representative Aguilar, to launch their Latino get-out-the-vote strategy early in this year’s presidential election calendar.
