>>> A NEW STUDY CONDUCTED BY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE CENTER OF DIVERSITY AND DEMOCRACY.

THE COVENANT OF THE BLACK AND LATINO VOTES.

IT HAS BECOME A HIGHLY CONTESTED MAYOR REAL RACE.

WHAT ISSUES ARE BLACK AND LATINO VOTERS FOCUS ON?

HERE TO SHED LIGHT ON SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES AND LATINO VOTER TURNOUT ARE DASH COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.

JOSE , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF -- AND -- DOMINGUEZ, POLITICAL SCIENCE DIRECTOR AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

THE STUDY SHOWS DATA THAT SOME MIGHT FIND SURPRISING.

CHICAGO HAS CERTAINLY HAD ITS FAIR SHARE OF RACIAL DIVIDE.

ACCORDING TO THE STUDY, BLACK AND LATINO VOTERS HAVE FOUND COMMON GROUND WHEN IT COMES TO KEY ISSUES IN THE ELECTION.

JOSE, WE WILL START WITH YOU.

WAS ANYTHING SURPRISING?

>> I'M NOT SURPRISED AT ALL.

I THINK IT IS CATCHING UP TO WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW.

BLACK AND LATINO VOTERS CARE ABOUT THE SAME THINGS.

THEY HAVE FAMILIES, CARE ABOUT THE VIOLENCE IN THE CITIES.

THEY CARE ABOUT HOUSING, ABOUT THE EDUCATION AND THEIR KIDS.

THE THINGS THAT REALLY IMPACT POLITICS.

>> THAT IS TRUE.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

IS IT SURPRISING FOR YOU?

>> IT WAS A REALLY SURPRISING, I THINK LIKE JOSE SAYS, THERE IS A LOT OF OVERLAP.

I ALSO THINK THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER HOW WE LOOK , I'M VERY EXCITED TO LOOK BEYOND IDENTITY POLITICS AND LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT BOTH OF OUR COMMITTEES.

>> THE CITY ALSO FOUND THAT UNLIKE PAST ELECTIONS, VOTERS ARE NECESSARILY VOTING FOR THE CANDIDATE THAT ALIGNS WITH THEIR ETHNICITY OR THEIR RACE.

LATINOS ARE NECESSARILY VOTING TO -- BLACK VOTERS AREN'T ALIGNING THEMSELVES TO MAYOR LIGHTFOOT OR ANY OF THE OTHER SIX CANDIDATES.

WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE GROUPS AND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR?

>> ARE YOU MUTED?

>> I AM SORRY.

I THINK IT JUST SHOWS THAT DESPITE THE PERCEPTION, THESE TWO GROUPS ARE NOT -- IN FACT, THEY ARE VERY DIVERSE .

THEY ARE REFLECTED , SO THIS IDEA THAT IT IS A LATINO ISSUE, OR AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ISSUE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THESE VOTERS ARE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER VOTERS.

THEY CARE ABOUT NUMBER ONE , CRIME, SECOND, INFLATION AND COST OF LIVING, THIRD, THE COST OF WAGES AND JOBS.

THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY IN THAT BORDER.

>> WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE TOP CONCERNS, WHEN THINKING ABOUT THE CANDIDATES AND THE VOTERS, IS NOT HAVING A CONSENSUS CANDIDATE A GOOD THING OR BAD THING?

ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REPRESENTATION IN CHICAGO.

>> I THINK FOR THIS, THIS PERSON WILL REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY OF CHICAGO.

IT IS ESSENTIALLY A TRI-PART BLACK/WHITE AND LATINO.

THEY CAN SPEAK TO THOSE ISSUES AND BE NUANCE ABOUT IT , PERHAPS WITH THE ISSUE THAT AFFECTS POPULATION.

I THINK THOSE ISSUES WILL RESONATE.

JUST WITH WHAT MY PEERS ON THE PANEL WERE SAYING, I THINK ALSO THE IDEA THAT THE NARRATIVE , THE MEDIA HAS NOT GOTTEN IT RIGHT.

THE ISSUE WITH MARGARET'S COMING TO CHICAGO, PARTICULARLY IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

WE FOUND THAT THERE WASN'T ANY RESISTANCE OR ANY KIND OF NEGATIVE REACTION.

IN FACT, IT WAS MORE ABOUT THE CITY CAN ACCOMMODATE THOSE MIGRANTS, AND THE CITY CAN ALSO'S PROVIDE FOR THAT.

IT WAS AND WHAT I CAN POLICY ON IMMIGRATION.

>> WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, THIS IDEA THAT THE STUDY SHOWS WHAT THE FINDINGS ARE.

THEY MIGHT BE SURPRISING.

MAYBE YOU WERE SO SURPRISED, AND OTHERS WERE SURPRISED EITHER WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT NOT HAVING A CONSENSUS CANDIDATE MOVING FORWARD?

>> I THINK IT IS GREAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE DIFFERENT CANDIDATES THEY CAN LOOK TO COME AND REALLY TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE POLICIES AND ISSUES THEY CARE ABOUT.

AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY FOR OUR CANDIDATES IN COMMUNITY, BUT THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT ARE THE ISSUES.

THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES, LOOK AT THEIR PLANT NORMS AND LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUE THEY CARE ABOUT.

IT IS GREAT TO HAVE DIFFERENT CANDIDATES AND MORE CHOICES.

>> OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TOP ISSUES WE HAVE MENTIONED.

STAYING FOCUSED ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR ENTITIES.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE TO DO TO GET THE LATINO VOTE?

>> I THINK THEY REALLY HAD TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A LOT OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR ARE POLITICIANS , OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS ADVOCATING FOR MORE POLICE PRESENCE, BUT NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED.

I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR US TO TOUCH UP ON THE ROOT ISSUES, INVEST IN PEOPLE AND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS.

>> OKAY, WE HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT WITH THE CANDIDATES.

WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE BIG CONCERN FOR BOTH GROUPS, WHAT SHOULD THE CANDIDATE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

>> HOUSING IS A BIG DEAL FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

RENTS ARE GOING OUT, TAXES ARE GOING UP.

IT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR FOLKS TO GET HOUSING IN CHICAGO.

I NEED TO INVITE ALL OF OUR FAMILIES TO COME BACK TO CHICAGO.

WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE KEEPING THE FOLKS GOING.

FOR THE LATINO POPULATION, IT IS GROWING.

WE ARE GOING DRAMATICALLY.

WE ARE ALREADY A THIRD OF THE CITY.

ALMOST HALF OF THE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE LATINO.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO THE MAYOR TO HAVE THAT IN MIND WHEN THEY ARE THINK ABOUT THEIR POLICIES AND THE DECISION THEY WILL BE MAKING.

>> I AGREE.

FOR THE FINAL QUESTION I HAVE FOR ALL THREE OF YOU, HOW CRUCIAL IS THE SELECTION FOR THE LATINO VOTER?

RIGHT?

SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS MEAN?

JOSE, CAN WE START WITH YOU?

>> THIS IS A CRITICAL ELECTION.

ALL ARE IMPORTANT.

WE ARE COMING OFF THE PANDEMIC, OFF A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE FAMILIES THAT WERE IMPACTED WITH THE ECONOMY , THE PANDEMIC, THEIR HEALTH, LATINOS LOST ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OF LIFE AFTER THE PANDEMIC.

IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN OFFICE THAT CARES ABOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF CHICAGO.

>> YEAH, WHAT ABOUT YOU WHEN IT COMES TO HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR LATINOS?

>> I SECOND WHAT HE SAID.

I'M ALSO VERY EXCITED TO HOPEFULLY HAVE A CANDIDATE THAT INVESTS IN PEOPLE LONG-TERM.

>> YEAH, DEFINITELY.

WE WILL END IT WITH YOU.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR LATINOS?

>> IS IMPORTANT FOR LATINOS, BUT I THINK MORE FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

ONE THING I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR LATINOS, WE HAVE TO TURN OUT.

THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW THOSE A BIT CONCERNING, THE FACT THAT THOSE WERE 100% SURE THEY WOULD VOTE LATINO AS THE HIGH SHARE OF THAT.

THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT POLITICALLY ENGAGED, BECAUSE THEY ARE.

I THINK THE CANDIDATES GOING FORWARD, IF THEY WANT TO COMPETE FOR THE LATINO VOTE, THEY HAD TO ENGAGE AND THEY HAD TO DO IT EARLY.

WE ALL KNOW IT IS BEHAVIORAL.

I THINK THEY HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB.

WE AS A COMMUNITY HOW TO DO A BETTER JOB, MAKING SURE WE ARE ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY AND I JUST AROUND ELECTION