The Columbus Dispatch

State polls: Biden holds lead over Trump among Latinos

- Rebecca Morin

With just five days until Election Day, Democratic presidenti­al nominee Joe Biden holds a slight lead over President Donald Trump among Latino voters in the battlegrou­nd state of Florida, according to a poll published Thursday.

Almost half (48%) of Latino likely voters in Florida said they support Biden, with 43% saying they back Trump, according to a state poll from Telemundo. Less than 10% of Latino voters said they’re undecided (7%) or voting for another candidate (2%).

Latinos will be the largest ethnic or racial minority group in the 2020 election, with 32 million eligible to vote. Florida, which has 29 electoral votes, is considered vital to Trump’s reelection bid and a loss there would be a huge blow.

But Biden is foundering with Cuban voters, a key Latino voting bloc in the state. According to the poll, Trump holds almost a 50 percentage point lead over Biden, 71% to 23% among Cuban voters.

However, Biden is leading among another big Latino voting bloc in the state: Puerto Rican voters, where Biden leads Trump, 66% to 23%.

Cuban voters make up the largest Hispanic eligible voter population in Florida at 29%, followed by Puerto Rican voters at 27%, according to Pew Research. The margin between Biden and Trump among Latino voters is much smaller than another recent poll of Latino voters released earlier this week. A Univision Florida poll had Biden leading Trump by 20 percentage points among Latinos, 57% to 37%.

Latinos won’t just be a crucial voting bloc in Florida, they will also hold key shares of the vote in Texas, Arizona and Nevada.

Texas polls

In the traditiona­lly red state of Texas, Biden holds a large lead over Trump among Latino voters, 58% to 34%. The poll shows that 7% are still undecided and 1% say they are choosing another

candidate.

In recent days, pundits have showed the race is tightening overall in the Lone Star State. The Cook Political Report recently changed its rating of the state to a toss up, meaning the race could go for either candidate.

Latinos make up roughly 30% of the Texas electorate, according to the Pew Research Center.

Arizona polls

Almost 2 in 3 (64%) Latino voters in Arizona say they support Biden in the Nov. 3 election, while 28% said they support Trump. A combined 8% said they are undecided (6%) or supporting a different candidate (2%).

Latinos make up roughly 24% of the electorate in Arizona, according to the Pew Research Center.

Nevada polls

Biden holds a commanding lead over Trump among Latino voters in Nevada, 62% to 29%. There are still 7% who say they’re undecided while 2% say they are choosing a different candidate.

Unlike several of the other states polled by Telemundo, Nevada has voted for the Democratic presidenti­al candidate since 2004. In overall polling, Biden is ahead of Trump in the state.

 ?? PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP FILE ?? Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a slight lead over President Donald Trump among Latino voters in a Florida poll.
PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP FILE Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a slight lead over President Donald Trump among Latino voters in a Florida poll.

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