CRITICAL SWING VOTE ON WHO DECIDE CHICAGO'S NEXT MAYOR.

WITH TUESDAY'S ELECTION QUICKLY APPROACHING, MANY SAY THEY HAVEN'T HEARD FROM EITHER OF THE CANDIDATES.

A RECENT POLL FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FIND THE TOP ELECTION ISSUE FOR LATINOS IS CRIME AND SAFETY.

BRANDON JOHNSON AND PAUL HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PLANS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

>> MY PUBLIC SAFETY IS WE HAVE TO INVEST IN PEOPLE.

THAT'S WHAT SAFE AMERICAN CITIES DO.

THIS IS REALLY ABOUT PREVENTION.

WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER.

TO HAVE YOUR CRIME SOLVED OR PREVENTED QUITE ?

>> THERE ARE 300 OFFICERS WILLING TO COME BACK IF YOU ARE RUNNING TWO ACADEMIES, DAY AND EVENING ACADEMIES, YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT NO OFFICERS ON THE STREET.

ONLY TAKE SIX MONTHS FOR THE OFFICERS TO BE ON THE STREET.

I KNOW.

>> JOINING US NOW ARE ROBERTO VALDES JR., AND KARINA , PRESIDENT AND CEO OF -- AND JAMIE DOMINGEZ , PROFESSOR AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING ON LATINO VOICES TODAY.

WE WILL GET STARTED.

ACCORDING TO A POLL, CRIME NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE WE JUST SAW.

THEY ARE OFFERING VERY DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.

WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK IS RESONATING WITH MOST LATINO VOTERS?

>> THANK YOU, MICHAEL.

I THINK WE SEE 44% OF THE LATINO VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN THEM.

THERE MAY BE A SLIGHT TO TOWARD MALAISE .

THERE MAY BE A MISS UNDERSTANDING WITH THE LAST NAME, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CRIME, MAKE NO MISTAKE.

LATINO S CARE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN A WAY THAT IS REAL IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE KNOW THE NEXT MAYOR HAS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THE MOMENT.

TO BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES.

AND BE ABLE TO BLEND.

THERE'S NO ONE SOLUTION TO WHAT BROUGHT US HERE.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FIXED OVERNIGHT.

I THINK WE ARE ALL COGNIZANT OF THAT REALITY.

IF WE ARE GOING TO SOLVE OUR PUBLIC CRIME ISSUE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE EVERYONE.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE MULTIPLE STRATEGIES.

MATTRESS PUTTING POLICE OFFICERS BACK ON THE STREET, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, AND NOT JUST INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES AND ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSE AND BREAKING DOWN THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS.

THAT'S THE HARD WORK WORKS >> THE LATEST POLLS SHOW A DEAD HEAT.

44% OF THE VOTES.

46% OF THE LATINO VOTERS LEADING TOWARDS MALAISE.

45% FAVOR JOHNSON.

ROBERTO , IS THAT YOUR SENSE OF WHERE THE LATINO VOTERS ARE RIGHT NOW?

>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE UNDERSTAND THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS NOT A MONOLITHIC GROUP.

WE HEAR THAT A LOT IN MANY OF THE MESSAGING .

LATINOS ARE GOING TO VARY ON DIFFERENT ISSUES .

OF COURSE DIFFERENT CANDIDATES AS THEY THINK ABOUT HOW THEY VOTE AT THE BALLOT.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH LESS THAN A WEEK LEFT.

FOR CANDIDATES TO PUSH HARD AND ENSURE THEIR MESSAGE IS GETTING TO THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES , THE DIFFERENT LATINO COMMUNITIES IN CHICAGO.

AGAIN IT'S NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE CAMPAIGNS.

>> JAMIE DOMINGEZ, 40% OF LATINO VOTERS SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE CAMPAIGNS.

WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE CANDIDATE VOTERS OUTREACH TO THE LATINO COMMUNITY?

>> WHAT IT BASICALLY SAYS IS THAT WHEN THE RACIST SUPERTYPE THEY WILL BEGIN TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.

FOR LATINOS I THINK THE FACT THAT HISTORICALLY WE HAVE LOWER RATES OF REGISTRATION, AND THEREFORE, BY DEFAULT, THE FORM OF VOTING.

THE TAKE AWAY IS GOING TO BE, GOING FORWARD, AS IT THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW, THE LEADERS AND VOTING PREFERENCES ARE REFLECTED.

AGAIN, THE FACT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO JUST WAIT TWO OR THREE WEEKS TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE ELECTORATE.

VOTING IS BEHAVIORAL.

THE EARLIER WE CAN GET MESSAGING TO OUR COMMUNITY, THE MORE IT'S GOING TO BE MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION.

>> I WILL STICK WITH YOU.

DO YOU THINK WHEN U.S.

CONGRESSMAN , JESUS LOUIS GARCIA, LEFT THE CAMPAIGN WITH THE LOSS IN THE PRIMARY, DO YOU THINK LATINO VOTERS MAY HAVE LOST INTEREST OVERALL?

SOME LATINO VOTERS MAY HAVE LOST INTEREST.

>> PROBABLY.

PERHAPS THOSE WHO FELT STRONG ABOUT CHICAGO BEING ABLE TO BE THEIR OWN.

THE STUDY IS SHOWING 75% OF VOTERS ARE GOING TO PREFER THE ETHNIC CANDIDATE.

LATINO VOTERS WE POSTED VALUES WERE LATINO, THERE COULD BE SOME EFFECTS WITH THAT.

AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THESE TWO CANDIDATES SPEAK ABOUT THE BROAD ISSUES THAT LATINOS ARE INTERESTED IN.

CRIME, COST OF INFLATION.

AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.

THEY BELIEVE YOU CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME, ADDRESSING CRIME, PROMOTING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES, AND PERFORM ACCOUNTABILITY .

WE HAVE THE MOST EFFICIENT POLICE FORCE IN THE COUNTRY.

>> KARINA, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU ARE HEARING REPORTING TO THEM?

>> PUBLIC SAFETY WE KNOW IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

AS IS THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH JOBS.

JOBS THAT LEAD TO CAREERS AND ARE WELL PAID.

AND TO BE REALLY BLUNT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, RIGHT?

70% OF THE POLL TOLD US THAT WE ARE IN GREAT DEAL OR A FAIR AMOUNT SIMILAR TO OUR BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS THOSE GOALS.

OUR PURCHASING POWER.

OUR HOME OWNERSHIP.

IT'S OUR SKILL AND COMMITMENT TO THE ENTREPRENEURS.

IT'S OUR CULTURE.

WE KNOW IT'S WELCOMING.

IT'S ALSO HARD-WORKING AND READY.

ALL OF THAT PACKAGED TOGETHER IS OPPORTUNITY.

>> BOOK AND A CANDIDATE STILL DO TO GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS TO LATINOS?

>> SIMPLE , MICHAEL.

KNOCKING ON DOORS.

MAKING THE PHONE CALLS, ENSURING THEY ARE TRYING TO REACH PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AT.

WE ARE EXCITED .

FOR THE PAST SIX OR SEVEN WEEKS, WE HAVE BEEN DOING NONPARTISAN GET OUT THE VOTE EFFORTS.

IT REALLY FOCUSES ON THAT.

MEETING FOLKS WHERE THEY ARE AT.

WE PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DO THAT TYPE OF WORK.

WE KNOW THESE FOLKS KNOW THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY , AND WE WOULD HOPE THE CAMPAIGNS DO SOMETHING SIMILAR.

FIND FOLKS WHO ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL.

>> WE'VE GOT LESS THAN ONE MINUTE.

IS THERE ONE ISSUE THAT CANDIDATES HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO?

THAT YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED?

>> SOCIAL COMPETENCY WITH THEIR OUTREACH.

ENSURING THEIR MESSAGING IS SOCIALLY COMPETENT.

FOLKS ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE PREDOMINANTLY MEXICAN HERITAGE AND BACKGROUND.

THE NORTHWEST SIDE, PUERTO RICAN.

VARIOUS DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.

ENSURING THE MESSAGING IS SOCIALLY COMPETENT.

KARINA.

>> WHAT ISSUE HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED?

>> AND NEEDS TO BE WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES.

NOT JUST INVESTING IN COMMERCIAL.

INVEST IN THE COMMUNITIES.

KNOW THAT WE ARE UNITED , NOT ONLY IN OUR DESIRE TO WORK TOGETHER, BUT READY ON ELECTION DAY TO WORK WITH THE NEXT MAYOR.

IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO FEEL UNITY.

>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT RIGHT THERE.

OUR THANKS TO ROBERTO, KARINA AND JAMIE.

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