Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Joe Biden Gets Backing of Key Latina Activist Dolores Huerta
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
May 1, 2020

Share

WASHINGTON — Labor and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta on Friday endorsed Joe Biden for president, giving him the backing of one of the nation’s most prominent Latino leaders.

Huerta will appear on Sunday at an online Todos Con Biden, or Everyone with Biden, event and said in an interview with The Associated Press she plans to do “whatever I possibly, humanly can to make sure that Joe Biden gets elected.”

The endorsement comes as the campaign says it’s ramping up Latino outreach, expanding some of the efforts it launched in key states during the primary in an effort to strengthen Biden’s support with a voting bloc it acknowledges could be pivotal to his success in November. The former vice president initially struggled to win over Latino voters during the primary after facing criticism for the Obama administration’s record on immigration.

Huerta will appear on Sunday at an online Todos Con Biden, or Everyone with Biden, event and said in an interview with The Associated Press she plans to do “whatever I possibly, humanly can to make sure that Joe Biden gets elected.”

“Our community has just been under constant, constant attack by the current administration,” said Huerta, who is based in Los Angeles. “We need somebody who is going to bring everybody together and end the racism and hostility that has been created.”

Huerta co-founded the organization that eventually became the United Farm Workers of America, a national union for farm laborers. The Biden campaign noted her endorsement came on International Workers Day, and Huerta said Biden will “really support strong labor unions.”

During the primary, however, Huerta endorsed California Sen. Kamala Harris and criticized Biden for his comments during a primary debate on immigration, accusing him of “speaking just like the Republicans” when he expressed opposition to the idea of decriminalizing border crossings during a Democratic primary debate.

But she told the AP on Friday that she trusts Biden to prioritize the challenges confronting Latinos and noted that immigration reform “is something the president can’t do,” noting big reforms require congressional action.

Alex Predicted ‘Record’ Latino Turnout for Biden

“I don’t think we’ll have to pressure him” on immigration reform, she said. “I think he realizes what the issues are.”

It’s a notable shift for a key voice in the Latino community, one that suggests Biden is making inroads with a community in which he initially faced challenges. Primary opponent Bernie Sanders’ strength among Latinos helped him build early momentum over Biden, who faced immigration protesters and criticism from opponents over the Obama administration’s record number of deportations.

Biden senior adviser Cristobal Alex said in an interview that the campaign’s initial struggles with the Latino community were due to a lack of resources that made it tougher for him to get his message out. Alex noted that the candidate’s support among Latinos got stronger in some of the earlier primary states and said that the Biden campaign plans to expand a number of its Latino-focused outreach efforts for the general election.

“Our campaign manager is committed to the Latino vote, the vice president is committed to the Latino vote, and so you’re going to see significant investment in the weeks and months to come,” he said.

Alex predicted “record” Latino turnout for Biden. The voters in that bloc, Alex said, “are poised to be the difference-makers” in this year’s election, noting the “fast-growing Latino populations” in swing states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

“We’re not taking any vote for granted. We have to compete for Latino voters, not just in places like Arizona and Florida, which people think automatically are Latino states, or Colorado and Nevada, but places like Ohio, where there’s a large Puerto Rican population, or there’s a large Dominican population in Pennsylvania,” he said. “So we’re going to be very attuned to the community in each state.”

DON'T MISS

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

DON'T MISS

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

DON'T MISS

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

DON'T MISS

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

DON'T MISS

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

DON'T MISS

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Xavier Becerra Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

UP NEXT

NFL Postpones Tush Push Decision but Passes Other Rule Changes, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

March Madness: It’s South Carolina vs. Texas and UCLA vs. UConn in Women’s Final Four

UP NEXT

What to Watch in Tuesday’s Big Elections in Wisconsin and Florida

UP NEXT

Major Layoffs Begin at Health Agencies That Track Disease and Regulate Food

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

13 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

13 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

13 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

13 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

14 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

14 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

14 hours ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

15 hours ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

15 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

15 hours ago

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday night that would thwart President Donald Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, ...

8 hours ago

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., center, is joined from left by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., as they speak to reporters about President Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign countries, at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
8 hours ago

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

11 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

12 hours ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

A young Labrador mix rescued from a Fresno canal on Sunday, March 2, 2025, is thriving in a foster home after overcoming fear and trauma. (Instagram/Fresno Animal Center)
13 hours ago

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

13 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

13 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

13 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

14 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend