‘Wide-Open Race’: Democrats Are Narrowing In On This Key Demographic, Poll Shows

Democrats have narrowed in on what used to be a double digit enthusiasm gap across Latino likely voters in the aftermath of the top-ticket switch, according to a new Axios Vibes/Harris poll from Monday.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have taken the reins, Latino Democrats and Latino Republicans are nearly tied for enthusiasm, with 83% and 84% respectively saying they are now extremely likely to vote, according to the poll. Prior to President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race in July, only 71% of Latino Democrats said they would likely vote, which came short of the 86% of Latino Republicans who said the same.

“It’s back to a wide-open race,” John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, told Axios. “With Latinos, we were seeing this pronounced shift in enthusiasm toward Trump and a populist message. Now, this is a new race. It’s a reset.”

Now that the Democratic party has swapped the top of the ticket, voters are able to refocus on policy issues.

“With Biden’s age out of the way, Latino voters are saying finally we can talk about the issues that really matter,” Gerzema told Axios. “Those issues are first and foremost economics.”

Inflation remains a top issue for Latino voters that transcends partisan lines, according to the poll. Other policy priorities include housing