GOP Latino Outreach: Republicans Recognize Hispanic Heritage Month 2015
The frontrunner for the GOP's 2016 presidential nomination may have antagonized Latinos with his anti-Mexican comments, but the Republican National Committee (RNC) is trying to reach out to the critical constituency during Hispanic Heritage Month.
To mark the commemoration held between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, the RNC is set to invite supporters to 25 different events in eight states -- including Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, considered key battleground locations in the upcoming race for the White House.
"Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the history and culture of Americans of Hispanic descent," committee Chairman Reince Priebus noted in a statement. "We are a stronger, more diverse, more vibrant country thanks to the influence and hard work of Hispanic Americans over generations. ... The Republican Party is proud to recognize and honor those contributions, not just this month but all year long."
The RNC events will have a local theme, the Associated Press explained, meaning that Puerto Rico will be a focus in the Orlando area -- home to a large number of residents from the U.S. commonwealth; talks in South Florida will address the Obama administration's decision to normalize ties with Cuba; and Pennsylvania Republicans will tackle taxes and the economy.
The campaign of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is trying to capitalize on the controversy surrounding her GOP counterpart, Donald Trump. The former secretary of state is set to launch an initiative called "Latinos con Hillary" in an effort to use an opportunity created by "Trump's cratering popularity with Latinos," Buzzfeed reported.
But RNC deputy political director Jennifer Sevilla Korn said Trump's lack of support among Hispanics -- an NBC/Marist poll on Monday found that only 22 percent of them would vote for him against Clinton -- is not a matter of concern for the Republican Party at large.
The tycoon's comments have "not impeded our ability to go out and have conversations with the community about the issues," and the Hispanic Heritage Month outreach "puts us in a very good place to build on the successes we've had before," Korn told the AP.
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