NEW POLL: California U.S. Senate Race a Tossup Among Latino Voters

With more than 8 million eligible Latino voters in the state, candidates have an opportunity to engage the state’s 2nd largest voting bloc that will help determine the March primary outcome

The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) announced the results of their California statewide poll of Latino voters ahead of the 2024 March Primary Election. California’s Latino voters, the second largest voting bloc in the state, will be pivotal in the U.S. Senate race to replace the late-Senator Dianne Feinstein. Yet, 40% of Latinos in the state are undecided, with nearly half reporting no opinion or having not enough to say of the leading candidates.

“From the cost of living and the ongoing challenges of artificial intelligence to the U.S. Supreme Court, the next United States Senator from California will confront a host of pressing issues of great concern for the state’s Latino population,” said Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, Latino Community Foundation CEO. “Latino voters are yearning for engagement and solutions from all candidates seeking this highly coveted political office.”

The Poll also found:

• Cost of living/inflation, housing affordability, and homelessness as the top three issues facing Latinos in the state.
• 52% to 48% of Latinos reporting that artificial intelligence is not seen as dangerous, with 55% also reporting that it is a new tool that will overall be helpful.
• 76% of Latinos support the state of California making significant investments to remedy injustices faced by African Americans in areas including housing, education, and criminal justice.

“The Latino vote is more consequential in the California primary for Democrats than perhaps any other primary contest in 2024, yet the data show the leading Senate candidates are relatively unknown to Latinos and none has emerged as a clear favorite. With early voting starting in mid-February and a busy holiday season approaching, the candidates need to step up their game and invest significantly in outreach efforts into the Latino community if they expect to gain support. Overall, the Latino vote in California still trends very heavily Democratic and whichever Democrat or Democrats emerge in the top two will only be successful if they have strong backing from Latino voters,” said Dr. Matt Barreto, President of BSP Research, lead pollster on Latino Community Foundation California Survey.

Click to download toplines and crosstabs of the poll.

The Latino Community Foundation commissioned the statewide poll of California’s Latino Voters from BSP Research. They surveyed 900 Latino registered voters across California for a margin-of-error of +/- 3.3%. The poll was conducted on-line and by phone in English and Spanish at the discretion of the respondent. Interviews were conducted between October 16, 2023 – October 25, 2023.

About the Latino Community Foundation

The Latino Community Foundation is on a mission to unleash the civic and economic power of Latinos in California. LCF has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has invested $25 million to build Latino civic and political power and leadership in the state. It is the only statewide foundation solely focused on investing in Latino youth and families in California. For more info, please visit: www.latinocf.org.

About BSP Research

BSP Research is a Latino-owned polling, research and analytics firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and directed by four PhD-holding political scientists.

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