New Political Action Committee Led by Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Fernando Espuelas will Focus on Latino Voter Engagement in Key Swing States to Secure Electoral College Victory for the Democratic Nominee
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and entrepreneur Fernando Espuelas today announced the launch of the American Latinos United (ALU) SuperPAC, focused on defeating President Donald Trump by activating Latino voters in key battleground states.
ALU’s mission and sole strategic goal is to decrease President Trump’s share of the Hispanic electorate by a small percentage change that would thereby deny the President an Electoral College win and re-election to a second term. ALU seeks to drive Trump from the national 30% threshold he secured in 2016 to 25% or less in 2020.
Election after election, experts and former campaign leadership are baffled as to why the “Hispanics have no other choice” strategy fails for Democrats. While there is a broad appreciation of the shift in the relative power of the Latino electorate, mainstream campaigns are generally faced with a knowledge deficit. There’s considerable ignorance among political operatives, campaigns and other political groups about the nuances of communicating effectively with a diverse population with differing psychographic profiles based on a series of objective factors.
“President Trump captured about 30% of the Hispanic vote in 2016. If he falls under that threshold in 2020, key battleground states will be out of his reach,” Espuelas said. “With the Electoral College in play, we intend to empower Latinos in battleground states to defeat Trump with their votes.”
Led by Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa and CEO Fernando Espuelas, the ALU team incorporates deep political experience with tech-driven innovation. ALU combines sophisticated targeting technology, culturally appropriate messaging, and on the ground activation to turn out voters in six battleground states that are critical to block a Trump Electoral College victory. The organization will focus its voter engagement efforts in: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
ALU will engage Latinos in English and Spanish, across traditional media and digital platforms, with targeted messaging and keen understanding of the diverse cultural composition of the Latino population in the U.S.
In addition, ALU will be launching ground operations in the six target states for in-person get out the vote efforts. Combined, ALU’s campaign will motivate the incremental voting shifts to provide the margin of victory to the Democratic nominee.
“Our country is on a precipice. President Trump’s incompetence and corruption are threatening our democracy and the American way of life,” said Villaraigosa. “Latino voters can make all the difference – if we know how to engage and activate the millions of people that sit out most elections. Through ALU, we’ll connect deeply with our community and create the mechanisms to turn out the vote in historic proportions.”
Even as Trump took a decidedly anti-Latino stance in the campaign, overall Latino voter turnout was at the same rate as when President Obama was re-elected in 2012. Democrats were unable to drive enthusiasm and activation. This kind of lackluster performance, if repeated in 2020, will almost guarantee the re-election of Trump.
To drive Democratic turnout, ALU will also connect with single issue voters that have discounted Democratic candidates in the past– educating them about the moral danger that Trump represents.
ALU will begin its efforts digitally, adding grassroots efforts in each of the six states. For more information, to join the ALU team or to donate, visit americanlatinosunited.com.
About ALU:
American Latinos United (ALU) was created to play a critical role in electing a Democratic President in 2020. Solely focused on Latinos, ALU seeks to provide the margin of victory in key battleground states where Hispanic turnout will determine the winner of the presidential election.
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SOURCE American Latinos United
