LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — According to the Associated Press, about eight in 10 Black voters nationally supported Vice President Kamala Harris— a decrease from the support President Biden saw four years ago.
However— President-elect Donald Trump doubled his support among young Black men.
In the meantime, Harris won just over half of Latino voters in the U.S., also down from Biden's support in 2020.
In Nevada, Unidosus reports that Latino voters went for Harris over Trump 64% to 35%. But, Trump's share of Latino voters still increased compared to previous elections.
I sat with both Black and Latino voters who supported Harris and Trump to hear what influenced their decisions and why economic issues are front and center this time.
You may rememberJose Solario and Chandler Cooks. They participated in Channel 13's Voter Panel Discussions prior to the election. Both of them voted for Harris.
Abel: How do we feel post-election?
Jose: Drained, surprised, shocked.
Chandler: Certainly surprised but a bit excited. There is a lot of work that needs to be done now.
I asked both voters what they think may have contributed to the increase in Latino and Black votes for President-elect Trump.
Jose: I think messaging and the ability to respond to inaccurate disinformation and flat-out lies impacted the vote.
I also wanted to know what Chandler thought about the gains Trump made with younger black men.
Chandler: That shows that the Democratic party was not doing enough to appeal to them, that they weren't included in those conversations and they felt like they were not being talked to.
Supporting the other side's ticket, I sat down with Las Vegas residents Tiffany Benn and Javier Barajas who both voted for Trump.
Abel: Were you shocked to see the outcome?
Tiffany: Actually, I wasn't shocked, I saw there was a huge shift with people's curiosity with Trump.
Javier: I knew this was going to happen.
Abel: What made you for President-elect Donald Trump?
Javier: As a businessman, we have been having a hard time in the last four years to keep our doors open and I believe Donald Trump is going to fix everything and do much better.
Tiffany: I want to live in a country where I feel safe; I want our economy back up, I want inflation down, I want this country thriving because if this country is thriving, then I'm thriving.
One thing all these voters agree on is their hope for what the future holds.
Jose: The party needs to learn that you need to value us because if you don’t, someone else will, and we will vote for someone who isn't good for us.
Chandler: They really need to listen to what the community wants and hear our needs and act on that.
Tiffany: As a country, we really need to come together and be united as a country; in the end, I want to see us thriving in a peaceful era without wars.
