A new poll out Friday shows Democrats losing support among Hispanics compared to the 2018 midterm races.
While Friday's Washington Post/ Ipsos poll shows Democrats with a net of 63% support among Hispanic voters, compared to a net of 36% for Republicans, that's a decline for Democrats from the last midterm elections. In exit polls conducted by Pew Research in 2018, 72% of Hispanic voters supported Democratic candidates and 25% supported Republicans.
The shrinking advantage for Democrats appears to have its roots in the economy and a tepid approval of President Joe Biden’s job performance during the past two years.
Rising prices, and the availability of jobs lead the issues that Hispanics see as important this election cycle with 87% and 74% respectively listed as the top issues, along with crime and gun violence at 80% each.
"It's like you come out with $200 worth of stuff or whatever and you come out with four bags," Bronx, New York resident Diane Soto, 61, told The Post, saying she votes Democrat up and down the ticket.
Health care and public schools are also high on the list with 80% and 76% respectively, compared to issues the Democratic Party has focused on like abortion [69%], racial discrimination [69%] and climate change [67%].
"It's those kinds of things that are fresh in your face that rule the day," said Robert Martinez, 64, who served in the Marines and lives in St. Mary's County, Maryland. "And this president just does not get it."
Fifty-four percent of those surveyed feel Biden has done a good job; 43% disapprove of his tenure; 57% said they felt he has not accomplished anything since taking office; and 43% said he has done "a great deal" or a "good amount" during his presidency.
According to the survey, 78% of Hispanic voters feel the economy is either poor or not so good, compared to just 21% that think it is doing well.
Despite the negative outlook on the economy, 60% said they were "optimistic" about their family's finances getting better in the next 12 months.
When it comes to immigration policy, 84% support a "path to citizenship" for migrants, while 60% also want to see an increase in border security funding and 53% want employers to check the legal status of workers.
The Post reported Friday that Hispanics are the fastest-growing voting bloc in the U.S. electorate, making up 14.3% of eligible voters, including 44% in New Mexico, 32% in Texas and California, 25% in Arizona and 21% in Florida.
The poll was conducted among 1,933 Hispanic adults and 1,088 registered voters between Sept. 22 to Oct. 3 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points, according to the organization.