Harris’ Lead Among Key Demographic Dwindles Compared To Past Dem Nominees

Vice President Kamala Harris’ polling advantage among Latino voters is the lowest of any Democratic candidate in the past four presidential elections, according to a NBC/Telemundo/CNBC poll from Sunday.

Harris is leading former President Donald Trump among Latino voters by 14 points at 54% and 40%, respectively, according to the poll. Despite this advantage, Harris’ boasts the smallest margin among the key demographic compared to President Joe Biden, former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.

Biden led by 36 points in 2020 while Clinton led by 50 points in 2016, according to past NBC/Telemundo/CNBC polls. Obama led by 39 points in 2012.

Trump is leading Harris among Latinos by four points when it comes to handling the economy and by nine points when it comes to handling inflation and the cost of living, according to the poll. A majority of Latinos, 54%, said that the cost of living and the economy remain their top issues going into November.

Inflation has been at the forefront of many Americans minds for the last four years, with rates reaching decade highs under the Biden-Harris administration. The national debt skyrocketed to $35 trillion for the first time in American history in July.

Several Biden-Harris provisions, such as the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, have collectively contributed over $2 trillion to the federal deficit. The American Rescue Plan, which was passed in March 2021, waived $1.9 trillion in spending, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed in August 2022, authorized an additional $750 billion.

Trump also boasts a 13 point lead over Harris when it comes to handling immigration and securing the border, according to the poll. Immigration is also a top priority for 11% of Latinos, right behind economic issues and “threats to democracy.”

Since Biden-Harris took office, Border Patrol has encountered more than 7 million migrants at the southern border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Harris has previously been dubbed the “Border Czar.”

The NBC/Telemundo/CNBC poll surveyed 1,000 registered Latino voters from Sept. 16 to Sept. 23 with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.