Democratic Socialism’s Struggle for Hispanic Voter Support

A Pew Research Center survey released earlier this year found that only 20 % of Democratic-leaning Hispanic voters viewed leaders who identify as democratic socialists favorably, compared with 21 % of Black Democrats, 30 % of Asian Democrats and 40 % of white Democrats in the party. The same poll showed a strong negative impression of socialism among Cuban respondents (82 %) and Puerto Rican adults (64 %). Among Hispanic voters of Mexican and South-American origin, 51 % and 47 % respectively expressed a negative view. Younger Latinos are less uniformly skeptical: about 46 % of respondents ages 18-29 held a positive impression of socialism in a 2022 Pew poll, versus roughly one-third of those 50 and older.

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Democratic strategists warn that the “socialism” label could be a liability in states with large Hispanic populations, such as Florida. One strategist cited state Rep. Angie Nixon’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as a factor that may hurt her Senate bid, describing the term as “toxic” in that market. Luis Miranda, a former director of Hispanic media in the Obama White House, noted that many Latino voters have personal experience with political extremes in their countries of origin, which fuels skepticism toward the DSA’s more radical proposals, such as abolishing the Senate and the presidency.

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Despite overall wariness, some DSA-endorsed candidates have won decisive victories in Hispanic-majority precincts. Union organizer Claire Valdez captured her primary by more than 30 points, and Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a race where she carried Hispanic-plurality precincts by a narrow margin. However, Espaillat still led in Hispanic-plurality areas by four points, underscoring the mixed electoral impact.

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• “I saw what the extremes did in the country I was born in, both the far right and the far left,” — Luis Miranda, democratic strategist

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• “Especially because ‘socialism’ isn’t just one issue. It can and does mean different things to different people,” — Stephanie Valencia, CEO of Equis Research, an organization focused on understanding Latino voters

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