Harris edge over Trump among Latino voters smallest in recent cycles: Survey

Vice President Harris leads former President Trump by double digits among Latino voters but that margin for Democrats has decreased to the lowest level in recent presidential cycles, a new survey found.

The national poll, conducted by NBC News, Telemundo and CNBC, found Harris leading with 54 percent support among registered Latino voters to Trump’s 40 percent. About 6 percent say they aren’t sure or don’t plan on voting.

Harris’s 14-point advantage among the critical voting group is an improvement from when President Biden was challenging Trump earlier this year, but it’s still lower than other leading Democrats in the past.

Democratic presidential candidates had a 39-point edge in 2012, a 50-point lead in 2016 and a 36-point lead in 2020 among Latino voters, NBC News reported, citing previous polling data.

Views about the Democratic Party have dropped among Latino voters in recent cycles, according to the survey released Sunday. The newest poll found 38 percent have a positive view of the party, down from the 49 percent who held a positive view in 2022 and 57 percent who held a positive view in 2016.

Twenty-nine percent of Latino voters had a positive view of the Republican Party in the latest survey, down 1 point from 2022. Both parties lost support over the past two years when asked who best addresses the concerns of the Hispanic community.

Latino voters rank Trump better on the economy, inflation and cost of living. Cost of living was ranked the top issue for Latino voters, the survey found.

The results show the differences in opinions over immigration for Latinos, a hot-button issue this campaign cycle as the country grapples with an influx of migrants at its southern border.

Forty-seven percent of Latino voters say Trump would be better at securing the border and controlling immigration while 34 percent say Harris would do a better job. Voters largely say Harris would be better at treating immigrants humanely and protecting immigrant rights, the survey found.

The release of the survey follows Harris's visit to the southern border in Arizona late last week, where she called for stricter border security and immigration reform.

The survey was conducted by NBC News, Telemundo and CNBC from Sept. 16-23 among 1,000 registered Latino voters. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.