Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence said Sunday he is not worried that Donald Trump’s tough stance on illegal immigration will lose them Hispanic voters in Florida and possible lose them the election.
“The truth is that Hispanic Americans have the same concerns that every other Ameircan does. And we want to get this economy moving again. We want our country to be safe,” Mr. Pence said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Mr. Trump’s strong stance on illegal immigration has been a lightning rod for criticism since he announced his run last year, when he first promised to build a wall on the southern border and said Mexico sends rapists and criminals to the U.S.
Hispanic voters make up about a third of the electorate in Florida, a state that Mr. Trump likely must win to get the 270 electoral votes needed to make it to the White House.
Early voting data in Florida have shown a surge in Hispanic voters over 2012 levels. But the data also show a reduced level of black voters casting early ballots, another key demographic that Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic nominee, needs to turn out in large numbers.
Mr. Pence said the GOP ticket will have support from Hispanic voters.
“I was just in Miami this last weekend [and] saw overwhelming support for Donald Trump’s strong stand for freedom in this hemisphere, standing strongly against what the Obama administration and what Hillary Clinton wants to continue to do,” he said.
When pressed, Mr. Pence said he was not claiming that Mr. Trump would receive the majority of the Hispanic vote.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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