Black, Latino, and AAPI Voters Play Key Role in Securing Biden/Harris Victory
As underscored by the election results and backed up by the findings of the 2020 American Election Eve poll, the Biden/Harris victory was powered by the turnout and support of African American, Latino, and AAPI voters.
Leading observers are highlighting that not only were voters of color instrumental in flipping states such as Arizona and Georgia, but also in providing the narrow margin of victory in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. See a snapshot of just some of the commentary and reporting below:
- “Voters of Color Restored Democracy in America in 2020,” Ethnic Media Services article by Sunita Sohrabji and Pilar Marrero: “[A] massive turnout of voters resulted in a close election where Democrat Joe Biden was pushed across the finish line by large majorities of voters of color … The Democratic presidential ticket reached that goal mainly because communities of color rejected the Trump Administration by large margins … Election eve surveys and exit polling confirmed that the majority of white voters voted for President Donald Trump, but that Asian Americans, Latinx, and Black voters turned out in record numbers to oust the incumbent, and to propel the first woman of color into the White House.”
- “Communities of color were ‘key to Biden’s coalition,’ research shows,” Des Moines Register column by Rekha Basu: “The bottom line is, Democrats and democracy got a big boost this week from communities of color, but their support mustn’t be taken for granted, and their trust must be validated. They should be courted to be active and engaged parts of the next administration. Their needs and concerns should be listened to and prioritized.”
- “Joe Biden Just Won Arizona—and He Has Latinx Activists to Thank for It,” Mother Jones analysis by Fernanda Echavarri: “Arizona’s slow leftward march is a result of a decade of grassroots work by Latinx organizers and activists—not necessarily to support the Democratic Party, but to protect their own community. A generation of Latinos was galvanized when Arizona passed SB 1070 in 2010, the extreme anti-immigration measure that would become known as the ‘show me your papers’ law. Organizations that are working on mobilizing Latinx voters today were formed as a response to SB 1070 and Arpaio’s harsh tactics.”
- “Dems will have all eight Senate seats from AZ/CO/NV/NM for 1st time since 1941,” Ron Brownstein tweet: “Dems will have all eight Senate seats from AZ/CO/NV/NM for 1st time since 1941. And if Biden holds NV/AZ, as seems likely now, they will hold all 8 Senate seats & win all 4 for president for 1st time since 1936.”
- “‘We saved the day’”: How the Latino vote was key in Arizona and Florida,” Univision article by David Adams: “[A]ccording to Rocio Saenz, Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) ‘We also understand that not all immigrants vote alike. But you are seeing it in real time. The growing foreign-born populations in key cities, and connecting suburbs, like Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, are a major factor that helped the Democrats to rebound in 2018 and retake the White House.’ … Biden’s victory in Arizona may have added the latest brick in a new ‘blue wall’ in the so-called ‘Sun Belt’ in the South-west, following in the footsteps of Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. ‘All across the Sun Belt, Latinos showed up. We won. We saved the day,’ said Kristian Ramos, a Latino consultant.”
- In an interview with NPR “How Latino Voters Broke Expectations This Election”, Julio Varela shared: [T]he big story here is that the Latino vote – if you look at it as swing states, if you look at it in different geographical locations…is elevating Joe Biden to the White House….There’s a reason why Joe Biden is – you know, did well in the Midwest. And Latinos played part of it. Milwaukee, Pennsylvania – eastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, you know, the suburbs outside of New York and eastern Pennsylvania – Puerto Ricans, Dominicans. And then go down to Georgia. Go down to North Carolina. Gwinnett County in Atlanta – I mean, one – Sonja Diaz of UCLA – tweeted out 77% went for Joe Biden. And Georgia’s in play. So this is what I mean – is that, you know, we need to start looking at Latinos like we’re looking at swing states because we’re so fractured…”
- Jazmine Ulloa writes in the Boston Globe, “Biden and Trump both did well with Latino voters. This is how that happened”: “People have been taking Latino voters for granted on both sides for a decade,” said Antonio Arellano, the interim executive director of Jolt, the largest Latino progressive organization in Texas. “Latinos are not going to show up for a party that we are not invited to.” And yet, Latinos came out in droves for Biden, he added. “I’m so proud of the record participation of Latinos who are finally stepping up and pushing back against a narrative that has painted us not engaged or not powerful. It couldn’t be further to the truth,” he said.”
- “Early reports show Wisconsin’s Latino vote flipped state blue,” WTMJ-NBC Wisconsin report from Shaun Gallagher: “‘We did it,’ Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director for Voces de la Frontera Action said … ‘For us, right now, We know in Wisconsin, with the margin so thin, the Latino vote new and infrequent voters will be a critical part of that margin’ … ‘“The Latino community is not monolithic,’ [Ed Fallone, Chairman of Todos Con Biden] said. ‘But in Wisconsin, they were a key and decisive part of the election.’”
- “Black Voters in Georgia Were Key to Biden’s Success and Forcing Potential Run-off in Senate,” Atlanta Daily World article by Roz Edward: “‘If Joe Biden wins, it means that a coalition led by people of color is now the dominant political reality in the US,’ said Henry Fernandez, principal at AARC. ‘Most decisions Trump made as President and in his campaign were about stopping this transition to a country that is no longer dominated politically by white voters. He’s trying to turn back this sea change in American politics.’”
- Lesson from the 2020 election? Ignore young, Black and Latino voters at your own risk,” Arizona Republic column by Greg Moore: “Ignore young people and minorities at your own risk. That’s the political message we can take away from early results of the 2020 presidential election, which came in the wake of this summer’s massive anti-racism demonstrations, the largest protest movement in American history.”
