Hispanic Voters Beginning To Favor Bernie Sanders, But Donald Trump’s Appeal Falls Flat Nationally, According To New Poll

Hispanic voters appear set to play a major role in deciding which candidate ends up at the White House come November.

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders’ fledgling support among minorities has widely been touted as the possible reason as to why many strategists do not consider the Vermont senator as being capable of wrestling the Democratic nomination away from Hillary Clinton.

However, recent developments suggest that it is Sanders who is gradually gaining ground on his rivals, especially his democratic rival Clinton, as far as his support among minorities is concerned.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump’s popularity among Hispanic voters will not grow in the months leading up to the nomination, according to a new poll, despite Trump boasting about his performance among Hispanic voters in Nevada this week, when he said that he enjoyed a massive 45 percent support among Hispanic voters.

Trump won around 40% of the latino vote in Nevada, but that accounts for about 1,300 votes. Still, more than the two hispanics on the ballot

— Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) February 24, 2016

Earlier this week, Spike Lee, a filmmaker with considerable African-American influence, endorsed Bernie Sanders in a radio advertisement, asking South Carolina voters to “wake up” and fix the rigged economic system, according to CNN.

And now, in what is being considered a major victory for Bernie Sanders already, a majorly influential organization representing Hispanic voters has backed Sanders for the presidential nomination. As reported in The Inquisitr, Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA, the largest Hispanic organization in Arizona, made its first nomination in history when it backed Sanders for president, citing his record and what the Vermont senator stood for in the larger scheme of things.

Alejandra Gomez, co-executive director of LUCHA, said the decision to endorse Bernie Sanders was taken after carefully considering the plight of the ordinary Hispanic voter.

“Every day, we hear the stories of Moms working at fast-food restaurants for 11 years and only making $11 an hour and students who want to get more involved but their tuition is squeezing them. It every turn, our community is being squeezed, and the only candidate speaking for them is Bernie.”

JUST IN: @BernieSanders currently leading @HillaryClinton among Hispanics: https://t.co/JVGV8M8v5D #NVDemsCaucus pic.twitter.com/7qgp5JKfNj

— CBS News Politics (@CBSPolitics) February 20, 2016

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s numbers are not expected to stay strong as the race for presidency heats up in the coming months, according to Washington Post /Univision poll released Wednesday night. Although Trump expressed his delight after entrance polling from Nevada showed that he won 45 percent of Hispanics who voted in the Republican caucuses on Tuesday, the latest poll suggests that his number are much lower in the national race.

According to USA Today, 81 percent of Hispanics have an unfavorable view of Donald Trump and only 16 percent would vote for him in matchups with Democratic candidates. The poll also shows that Trump’s fellow Republican presidential candidates, including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, fare better in gaining support among Hispanic voters nationally.

Republican candidates have traditionally not done well in wooing the Hispanics, with George W.Bush’s 40 percent support among Hispanic voters in 2004 considered the benchmark for a successful Republican campaign, according to key strategists in the GOP field.

Compare that to Bernie Sanders’ popularity, and with about 60 percent of all Hispanic voters having a favorable view of Sanders, the Vermont senator is quite easily expected to beat Trump for Hispanic votes in the general elections, if — and it’s a big if — Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump can win their respective party nominations come July.