Faith-based group plans to spend $50M
Group to pursue voter turnout for Trump’s re-election
WASHINGTON — Veteran conservative activist Ralph Reed said Wednesday that the faith-based group he leads plans to spend at least $50 million on get-out-the-vote efforts in 2020.
It’s part of a large-scale marshaling of evangelical resources poised to benefit President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
After Trump spoke to an annual conference hosted by Reed’s group, the Faith & Freedom Coalition, the longtime GOP strategist previewed a voter outreach plan for 2020 that he said would include investment in Latino voters of faith.
Of the $50 million the group has set aside to spend on communicating with voters, Reed said $4 million would go toward contacting socially conservative and religious Latino voters in swing states that include Florida, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona.
“We will do our job. We will turn out our vote,” Reed told reporters.
Vice President Mike Pence visited Florida on Tuesday for a Latinos for Trump event in Miami. He also toured the National Hurricane Center and said it will improve its storm surge warnings this season thanks to three new satellites.
The eight-figure spending plan by Reed’s group is also expected to include 500 paid staff members and 5,000 volunteers, according to the Faith & Freedom Coalition. With evangelical Protestant voters, the group’s voter contacts will include Roman Catholic voters.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail Wednesday:
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders released an online campaign video spotlighting the lack of affordable housing in Reno. The Vermont senator’s campaign’s video featured interviews with a Northern Nevada tenant rights activist, footage of a Sanders rally in Reno this year and images of homeless encampments and renovated apartments.
The family of a 54-year-old black man fatally shot by a white officer is suing the officer and the city of South Bend, Indiana, where Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is mayor. Eric Logan’s relatives filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court. It accused Sgt. Ryan O’neill of using excessive deadly force when he shot Logan on June 16. The lawsuit also named South Bend as a defendant but did not name Buttigieg.