U.S. Sen. Barack Obama plans to invest $20 million to reach out to Hispanic voters across the nation, a Democratic official said Tuesday.
“Certainly Hispanics hold the key to winning the White House, so we are very committed to that,” said Eliseo Roques, vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee’s Hispanic Caucus.
In a press conference following a luncheon honoring Latino leaders and former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, party leaders worked to dispel talk of division in the party and to reassure Latino voters that Obama cares about their communities.
“We know we have a task between now and November to get out there and convince people to vote,” said U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif.
Peña said with that Obama plans to invest people, time and money in Latino communities to ensure they connect with him.
Geocanda Arguello-Kline, president of the Nevada culinary union, said Obama understands the challenges workers and immigrants face.
“Obama is leading us to change this country,” she said.
But Blanche Darley, an El Paso delegate who on Tuesday marched in support of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and wore a blue shirt emblazoned with the New York senator’s name, said it’s too late for Obama to win her over.
Obama, she said, should have implemented a strategy to show voters like her that he cares about Latinos a long time ago.
“It’s a little too late to win Hispanic voters that have already been distracted elsewhere,” she said. “They should have done it during the primary.”
