A top Hispanic advocacy group Thursday endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, giving his campaign a much-needed push ahead of a two-week stretch when a majority of the country’s Latinos will cast their primary votes.
Latino Victory Fund Chairman Luis Miranda said the group chose Biden for his experience in government.
“In January 2021, there will be no learning curve for the next president of the United States. Our country will need an experienced leader who will hit the ground running on day one, and that candidate is Vice President Biden,” said Miranda in a statement.
“Vice President Biden has consistently supported issues that align with the Latino community, including access to quality, affordable health care, job growth, and a prosperous economy, access to higher education and reducing gun violence. He is committed to introducing and fighting for legislative immigration reform, including the protections of the Dream Act, within the first week of a Biden Administration. Latinos will rest assured knowing that they’ll once again have an ally in the White House,” added Miranda.
The Biden campaign has been ailing after fourth- and fifth-place showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively.
Nevada’s caucuses will take place Saturday, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) is expected to win there, in large part because of his campaign’s early investment in the state’s sizable Hispanic electorate.
The primaries will then move to South Carolina, the first state where Biden is expected to win, and then to Super Tuesday, where the Latino vote is expected to play a key role in a number of states voting that day.
On Super Tuesday, California and Texas will head to the polls — the two states host about half of the country’s Hispanic population — as will other states with relatively large Latino populations, like Colorado and North Carolina.
Biden’s campaign has a significant Latino operation, but it’s been overshadowed by Sanders’s early success among the relatively small Latino electorates in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden’s top Latino adviser is Cristobal Alex, who previously headed the Latino Victory Fund.
In response to the Latino Victory endorsement, Alex said, “I’m biased. But I’m going to come out and say it. This is my very very favorite endorsement. Thank you, familia.”