The Democratic National Convention has officially kicked off in Chicago. As the party's spirit reigned high over, the Hispanic Caucus met to discuss the top priority for Latinos— the economy.
The meeting opened with a video of Vice President Kamala Harris speaking about her immigrant mother and how she was looked over because of her accent, as well as a Spanish version of it.
"The fact that my mother never asked anyone permission to tell her what was possible is why, within one generation I stand here as a serious candidate for the United States," Vice President Harris said.
As delegations cheered, the focus shifted from the Presidential nominee's background to the economy, reinforcing the ticket's recently announced economic plans if they win the White House.
Part of the Harris-Walz ticket's plan includes using federal power to combat what the vice president says is price gouging by supermarket giants and to offer government help for first-time home buyers, a plan that has been slammed by former President Donald Trump as a "Venezuela-style socialism" approach.
Harris' proposed policies have already been questioned by mainstream economists, who say the price controls could lead to food shortages, according to CNN.
The DNC meeting also focused on the importance of Latino voters, who are expected to play a crucial role in deciding the next president. To drive the message home, Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota governor Tim Walz made a surprise appearance.
"We've got an opportunity to start making this even a more inclusive country," Walz said in his quick remarks as the room broke into applause.
Latinos have historically voted for Democrats in presidential elections. However, earlier this year, there was seemingly a rightward shift from the demographic as discontent over President Joe Biden loomed large. Now, with Harris at the helm of the party, it seems that trend is slowing.
The Harris campaign is noticing this change. At the Hispanic Caucus meeting, the Vice President's campaign manager, Julie Chavez-Rogridguez, described Latino voters as a critical swing vote in November, saying the Harris campaign was taking new measures to reach them where they are at.
The campaign introduced a WhatsApp broadcasting channel to reach Latino voters, which campaign officials say it's the first of its kind in a presidential election.
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