Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Surge in Latino registration, but bloc's civic engagement still unclear

voter registration, Voto Latino

Voto Latino is now more than halfway to its goal of registering 500,000 people before Election Day.

Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

The nation's most prominent Latino political engagement group says it's helped more than a quarter million people register to vote this fall, the most in the four presidential campaigns during the group's 15-year history.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic dampening "Get Out the Vote!" campaigns across the country, Voto Latino said Tuesday it is more than halfway to its ambitious goal of registering 500,000 people by Election Day.

Engaging and energizing the steadily growing Hispanic population could be pivotal in November: This will be the first presidential election in which they constitute the largest minority voting bloc — at almost 14 percent of all eligible voters. But there has been some recent angst, especially among prominent Latino Democrats, that their party is not doing enough to maximize support from Latino communities.


Just 40 percent of eligible Latinos cast ballots in the 2018 midterm, the smallest share by far among the four major racial groups. Boosting that percentage could help Joe Biden's efforts to carry the four competitive states where Hispanics as a share of all voters stand out: Texas (30 percent), Arizona (24 percent), Florida (21 percent) and Nevada (20 percent).

But Julián Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary who was the only Latino to run for the Democratic nomination this year, says his party is not doing enough to support and attract Latino voters.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

"I think that we could win the battle and lose the war," he told Axios. "We could win in November, but you could see a potential slide of Latino support for Democrats."

Hillary Clinton took 66 percent of the Latino vote nationwide in 2016, but that was a 5-point drop from Barack Obama's showing four years earlier.

"Ensuring that the Latino community is a robust part of this coalition going forward" should be a goal of the party, Castro said, "Or else you're going to see a slide that will benefit the Republicans in the years to come."

With 11 weeks to go, Voto Latino hopes to build on its momentum and continue its digital-first voter outreach efforts. Of those registered so far, 70 percent are younger than 35 and almost three-fifths may now vote in Texas — which is becoming more closely contested at the presidential level than at any time in four decades and has 38 electoral votes, second only to California.

Part of Voto Latino's success comes from its decision to conduct an online-only campaign at the start of the year, months ahead of when other groups were forced to switch to digital due to Covid-19. "We turned the traditional model for voter outreach on its head and it's paying off," said the group's president, María Teresa Kumar.

The organization also pointed to the recent protests against police brutality and racial injustice as evidence young people are more motivated to vote this fall.

For the last presidential election, the group registered only 177,000 people but two years ago grew the number to 202,000.

Read More

Trump to the Nation: "We're Just Getting Started"

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump is speaking about the early achievements of his presidency and his upcoming legislative agenda.

(Photo by Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump to the Nation: "We're Just Getting Started"

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, emphasizing that his administration is “just getting started” in the wake of a contentious beginning to his second term. Significant themes, including substantial cuts to the federal workforce, shifts in traditional American alliances, and the impact of an escalating trade war on markets, characterized his address.

In his speech, Trump highlighted his actions over the past six weeks, claiming to have signed nearly 100 executive orders and taken over 400 executive actions to restore “common sense, safety, optimism, and wealth” across the country. He articulated that the electorate entrusted him with the leadership role and stressed that he was fulfilling that mandate.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump’s Tariffs: a burden on workers, a boon for the wealthy

An illustration of a deconstructed dollar bill.

Getty Images, rob dobi

Trump’s Tariffs: a burden on workers, a boon for the wealthy

Earlier this year, President Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, claiming they would fix trade imbalances and protect jobs. However, instead of helping American workers, these tariffs act as hidden taxes; they drive up costs and feed inflation. While average Americans bear the brunt of higher prices and lost jobs, the wealthy are insulated from the worst effects.

Many economists assert that tariffs are stealth taxes, that is, the burden is not distributed equally—while corporations may adjust by diversifying suppliers or passing costs along, working households cannot escape higher prices on essential goods like groceries and electronics. Analysts estimate these tariffs could add $1,250 to the annual cost of living for the average American household—a substantial burden for families already struggling with inflation. Additionally, according to the well-regarded Tax Foundation, the tariffs are projected to reduce GDP by 0.5% and result in the loss of approximately 292,000 jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases should apply for compensation

An individual applying for a program online.

Getty Images, Inti St Clair

Veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases should apply for compensation

In 1922, the U.S. Navy identified asbestos as the most efficient material for shipbuilding insulation and equipment production due to its heat resistance and durability. The naturally occurring asbestos mineral was also the most abundant and cost-effective material on the market. During the difficult WWII years, asbestos became critical to the U.S. Military, especially for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force: shipping and shipbuilding were essential, and parts of the military aircraft and incendiary bombs also contained asbestos.

Even as demand exceeded supply, in 1942, a presidential order banned the use of asbestos for non-military purposes until 1945. The application of asbestos-based material by the Military continued to increase until the 1970s when its carcinogenic nature came to light, and the use of asbestos started to be regulated but not banned.

Keep ReadingShow less
S.E. Cupp: Where is the Democratic Party’s Ronald Reagan?

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump arrive for the inauguration ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025.

Getty Images/TCA, Melina Mara/POOL/AFP

S.E. Cupp: Where is the Democratic Party’s Ronald Reagan?

With all the attention deservedly on President Trump and what he intends to do with his defiant return to the White House, there’s a more than good chance we’ll spend the next four years consumed once again by all things Trump.

There’s already been a dizzying amount: a giant raft of executive orders; attacks on a constitutional amendment; his threats to invade sovereign nations; a seeming Nazi salute from one of his biggest surrogates; his sweeping Jan. 6 pardons; his beef with a bishop; his TikTok flip-flop; his billion-dollar meme coin controversy; scathing new allegations against one of his Cabinet picks; unilaterally renaming a body of water; a federal crackdown on DEI; promises of immigration raids across major cities. All this in just the first three days of Trump’s second term.

Keep ReadingShow less