By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland
MADISON, Wisconsin (Reuters) – Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump will court Hispanic voters on Thursday trips to Nevada, the smallest of the seven swing states expected to play a decisive role in Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election.
Hispanics represent about 30% of Nevada’s population and Hispanic voters have traditionally been an area of strength for Democrats. Former President Trump, however, has been gaining ground in the nationally and religiously diverse U.S. Latino population.
Nationally, Trump had the support of 38% of registered Hispanic voters in a series of Reuters/Ipsos polls conducted this month, up from 32% at the same point in 2020. Vice President Harris’ share of Hispanic voters was at 50%, compared with Democratic President Joe Biden’s 54% in October 2020.
Singer Jennifer Lopez will speak at a Harris rally in Las Vegas where Mexican pop rock band Mana will perform, while Trump will hold a rally to the southeast of the city in Henderson, which has a population of more than 330,000 people.
Trump’s event will be at Lee’s Family Forum, home to the Henderson Silver Knights ice hockey team. Harris’ rally and concert is part of a series of “When We Vote We Win” events to help mobilize support. Harris will also be in Reno.
A Trump rally on Sunday in New York set off an outcry after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” drawing criticism from a number of high-profile Hispanic Americans.
Singer Nicky Jam backed Trump in September but on Wednesday pulled his endorsement. “Puerto Rico should be respected,” he said in a video posted on Instagram.
The Trump campaign has said the joke did not reflect its views and has tried to distance itself from the remarks.
“I don’t know who he is … I know nothing about him,” Trump said in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Wednesday. “I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me.”
Trump also said a comment by Biden in which the president appeared to describe some Trump supporters as “garbage” revealed the disdain Democratic leaders feel towards his backers. Harris tried to limit the damage.
“I will be a President for all Americans,” she said.
VOTING UNDERWAY
More than 59 million Americans have already voted, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida.
Harris, who would be the first female president, and Trump, seeking a return to office after his 2017-21 term, diverge on support for Ukraine and NATO, tariffs that could trigger trade wars, abortion rights, taxes and basic democratic principles.
In Nevada, Republicans hold a “robust” lead so far, according to political commentator Jon Ralston, who posted that nearly 40% of registered voters there have already cast ballots.
Nevada has made changes to speed up its counting after its results came out slowly in 2020, with news outlets not calling the state for Biden until five days after Election Day.
This year, any ballot postmarked by Nov. 5 will still be counted if it arrives within four days.
Trump on Thursday will also travel to New Mexico, a stop reflecting a late push to try to “expand the map” and win states that were out of reach for him in 2020, a Trump adviser said.
Harris and her running mate Tim Walz on Thursday will also be in Phoenix, Arizona, another state both campaigns are fiercely vying to win.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason in Madison, Wisconsin and Steve Holland in Palm Beach, Florida; Additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Scott Malone and Tom Hogue)
