ARE A KEY VOTING BLOC IN THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

PEW RESEARCH ESTIMATES LATINOS MAKE UP NEARLY 15% OF THE ELIGIBLE VOTING POPULATION IN THE U.S. THAT'S AROUND.

36 MILLION LATINO VOTERS.

AND WHILE SOME POLLS INDICATE DEMOCRATIC KAMALA HARRIS IS LEADING REPUBLICAN DONALD TRUMP AMONGST BUT THE NO VOTERS, THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE VOTERS CAST THEIR BALLOT IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

JOINING US TO TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT SWING LATINO VOTERS ARE.

JOSE SANCHEZ MOLINA, COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICAL CONSULTANT WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY FOR GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER.

AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM IS HIT OUTLOOK A HISTORY PROFESSOR AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, THE HISPANIC REPUBLICAN AND WRITER FOR THE NEW YORKER.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US AGAIN.

I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

HOW WOULD YOU THIS MOMENTUM?

IT IS IS FEELING RIGHT NOW WITH WITH THE DNC AROUND THE CORNER NEXT NEXT WEEK.

YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME YOU KNOW, 6 WEEKS AGO WHEN I WAS HERE, WE HAD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT POINT.

NOW WHAT WE SEE IS A CHANGE IN MOMENTUM REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUES AND TELL VOTERS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO FOR THEM IF THEY WIN THE PRESIDENCY AND COUPLE OF LOCAL ELECTIONS AT THE RUNNING AHEAD, I'LL GO.

I WANT TO GO TO YOU.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT NEXT WEEK?

YEAH, I THINK NEXT WEEK IS KAMALA HARRIS'S AND TIM WALZ'S REAL OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY LATINOS BUT ALL AMERICANS WHO THEY ARE.

I MEAN, I THINK KAMALA HARRIS HAS GENERATED A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM FOR SURE.

AND I THINK THAT IN SOME WAYS HAS KIND OF CHANGED THE DYNAMICS OF THE ELECTION.

BUT A LOT OF LATINOS STILL WANT TO HEAR FROM HER ABOUT WHAT SHE WILL ACTUALLY DO.

I THINK THEY'RE MORE WILLING TO LISTEN TO HER NOW.

I THINK SHE HAS THEIR EAR AND NOW IT'S A CHANCE TO KIND OF CLOSE THE DEAL AND TELL WHAT HE KNOWS WHAT DO AS PRESIDENT AND TALKING ABOUT THAT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK LATINO VOTERS WANT TO HEAR FROM HARRIS AND TRUMP AS ELECTION DAY APPROACHES WELL, I THINK THEY'RE GOING WANT TO HEAR HOW THE 2 CANDIDATES DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES ON ISSUES LIKE THE ECONOMY AND IMMIGRATION AND HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION AND ALL THE REST.

I MEAN, I THINK SO FAR IT'S KIND OF BEEN A.

BATTLE WORDS.

AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF I GUESS, PEOPLE OF COLOR LIKE THE VIBES ELECTION WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO JUST GET A SENSE OF HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT A CANDIDATE.

BUT I THINK THE PERIOD BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER, IT'S GOING TO BE A RUSH FOR BOTH CANDIDATES TO MAKE CLEAR WHAT THEIR POLICIES ARE GOING TO BE ON.

ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT MATTER FOR LETTING WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORD THAT HE USED THE VIBES?

YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT LATINOS CARE ABOUT THOSE 3 ISSUES THAT WE NEED, THOSE WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TOP 3 WERE ONE WAS COST OF LIVING SECOND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY PAYING JOBS.

AND 3RD, WHAT'S HEALTHCARE?

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE VICE PRESIDENT HAS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TELL LATINO VOTERS HOW YOU GONNA MAKE HOME PURCHASES.

MORE AFFORDABLE, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO TACKLE INFLATION?

SINCE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN DROPPED OUT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

HOW HAS THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE CHANGE FOR LETTING THOSE YOU WOULD SAY WITH KAMALA HARRIS AS DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, A QUARTER OF ALL NEW VOTERS GUARANTEE TO BE LATINOS.

AND SO WHEN THE PARTIES ARE TALKING ABOUT ATTRACTING NEW VOTERS, BUT ANY VOTERS, IT IS APPEALING TO A LATINOS ACROSS THE UNITED BOTH CANDIDATES HAVE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY LET BRING YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS.

IS THERE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE I AM GONNA VOTE?

I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE SINCE THE SWITCH HAPPENED.

THEY ARE VERY EXCITED.

THEY'RE READY TO VOLUNTEER.

AND THE ONE THING THAT I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING, THEY'RE ALSO DONATING.

SO THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS AS WELL, WHICH I THINK IS HUGE REPUBLICAN CHANGE.

YEAH.

ALTHOUGH WHAT DOES HARRIS OFFER LATINO VOTERS COMPARED TO PRESIDENT BIDEN?

YOU WOULD SAY.

I THINK SHE'S GENERATED A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG LATINOS AND LATINAS IN PARTICULAR.

BEEN TALKING A LOT TO THE PEOPLE BOTH THE LATINO KIND OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST NATIONAL REGISTRATION AND TURNOUT OPERATIONS FOR LATINOS AND THEY'VE BEEN REGISTERING MORE THAN 1000 LATINO EVERY SINGLE DAY KAMALA HARRIS BECAME THE CANDIDATE AND THAT'S WAY HIGHER.

THAT'S BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF NUMBERS THAT THEY WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN THE DAYS RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION.

AND THEY'RE SEEING IT, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER, RIGHT BEFORE THE CONVENTION.

SO I THINK, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM.

I THINK YOUNG LATINOS.

BASICALLY I THINK THE MAIN THING THAT KAMALA HARRIS DONE FOR LATINOS IS KIND OF RE-ENGAGE A BUNCH OF DEMOCRATIC LEANING VOTERS WHO HAD BEEN ALIENATED BY JOE BIDEN IN PARTICULAR.

SO YOUNG WITH THE NICER KIND OF ENGAGED BY HER STANCES ON ABORTION.

THEY IDENTIFY WITH HER AS THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS AND THINK OF HER AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF KIND OF KNEW MULTIRACIAL AMERICANS.

SO SHE'S KIND OF RE-ENGAGE BEEN RE-ENERGIZED.

THOSE PEOPLE WHO LEAN DEMOCRAT BUT HAVE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT EITHER CANDIDATE BEFORE KAMALA HARRIS DECLINED.

THERE'S BEEN AND THERE'S BEEN THESE NEW GROUPS THAT I'VE SEEN ON TIKTOK AND SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE LATINAS FOR KAMALA HARRIS WHERE HUNDREDS OF WOMEN JOIN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND I GO HOW HIS HAIR IS.

WOULD YOU SAY A THREAT TO TRUMP'S LATINO SUPPORTER SUPPORTERS?

ONE THING I FIND REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT KAMALA HARRIS IS GOING TO DRAW AWAY FROM TRUMP'S LATINO SUPPORTERS.

I JUST SAW A NEW POLL COME OUT FROM THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER WHICH FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A MONTH OR 2 AGO BEFORE KAMALA HARRIS WAS THE CANDIDATE.

TRUMP AND BIDEN WERE TIED AT 36%, EACH AMONG LATINOS WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF UNDECIDEDS.

THE NEW RESULT IS A NEW POLL FINDING WAS THAT KAMALA HARRIS WITH 51% AND DONALD TRUMP WITH 35%.

SO DONALD TRUMP'S SUPPORT HAS KIND OF REMAINED STEADY.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT KAMALA HARRIS IS GOING TO ACTUALLY DRAW AWAY FROM TRUMP'S SUPPORT.

I THINK HER MAGIC SO FAR HAS BEEN, AGAIN, REALLY ENGAGING THE LATINOS WHO WE'RE WAITING TO SEE SOMETHING MORE FROM DEMOCRATS.

AND HOSEA VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IS THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE FIRST WOMAN OF COLOR TO LEAD A MAJOR PARTY'S TICKET IN THE U.S. HOW COULD THIS BE APPEALING TO LATINO VOTERS?

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY WOULD IN TURN NOW TO AN IN THE POLITICS ARE NOW LOOKING AT HER.

AND THE QUESTION THAT THEY'RE ASKING THEMSELVES IS WHAT IS KAMALA GOING TO DO TO MAKE MY LIFE BETTER?

SHE HAS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO TAP INTO SOME OF THE ENERGY AND MOMENTUM THAT DEMOCRATS IN ILLINOIS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND PROMISE SOME OF THAT TO THE NATION.

SO A LOT OF EXCITEMENT.

ARE YOU GOING TO THE DNC NEXT WEEK?

I WILL.

I WILL BE THERE.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE THERE.

IF YOU SEE AND HEAD OUT THE WINTER, THE GOP STRATEGY BE TO SWAY LATINO VOTERS AWAY FROM HARRIS TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.

I THINK THE 2 ISSUES THAT ARE PROBABLY THE GREATEST LIABILITY FOR THE DEMOCRATS AND KAMALA HARRIS AND IT WAS THE KIND OF CARRYOVER FROM JOE BIDEN'S PRESIDENCY HAS TO DO WITH THE BORDER SECURITY AND THE ECONOMY.

I MEAN, I-70 AND STILL, WHETHER IT'S JOE BIDEN IS THE CANDIDATE, KAMALA HARRIS AS THE CANDIDATE, THE MAIN ISSUES THAT LATINOS CARE ABOUT ARE THE ECONOMY AND INFLATION AND THE COST OF GROCERIES.

THE, YOU KNOW, EXPENSIVE RENT THINGS LIKE I'M SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR KAMALA HARRIS TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW THAT SHE'S GOING TO BE BETTER FOR THEM WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR, YOU KNOW, POCKET BOOK ISSUES AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, BEFORE KAMALA HARRIS BECAME A CANDIDATE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK LATINOS KIND OF GAME.

DONALD CREDIT FOR DONALD TRUMP.

SOME CREDIT FOR THE ECONOMY UNDER HIS PRESIDENCY.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION WAS FOR LATINOS UNDER DONALD TRUMP'S ECONOMY.

THAT KIND OF CREDITED HIM AS BEING THE CANDIDATE WHO COULD DO THE BEST FOR THEM WITH ECONOMIC ISSUES.

WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS DO YOU THINK GOING TO BE CLOSE RACE?

ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT.

YOU KNOW, TODAY, I THINK YOU KNOW, KAMALA HARRIS HAS ALL OF THE MOMENTUM AND CERTAINLY CHANGE THE DYNAMIC.

I ATTENDED THE RNC IN MILWAUKEE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND IT FELT TO ME LIKE REPUBLICANS, ALL THE BEHIND IT KIND OF ALL BUT SEWN UP.

AND THEY WERE JUST GOING TO MARCH TO VICTORY.

AND I THINK AT LEAST KAMALA HARRIS HAS CHANGE THE DYNAMICS AND KIND OF MADE IT TO CLOSE RACE.

NOW THAT WE ALL ASSUMED IT WOULD BE ALL ALONG.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS WE TALKED ABOUT THERE'S BEEN A NEW WAVE OF PEOPLE SIGNING UP IN AND BACKING KAMALA.

I THINK HER MESSAGE OF HOPE.

I THINK HER MESSAGE OF POLICY PROMISES OVER HATEFUL RHETORIC OVER RACISM IS GOING TO WIN.

AND SO THAT'S I DON'T BUT IF I WAS BETTING I WOULD PUT MY MONEY ON KAMALA AND LAST QUESTION, TRUMP HAS YET TO DEBATE.

HARRIS, WOULD YOU EXPECT TO SEE?

I EXPECT TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WANT FROM JOE BIDEN, WHICH WAS ENERGY STANCES ON POLICY AND A CHANGE FROM WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS PROMISING, WHICH IS I THINK HATE KIND OF