Singer Jennifer Lopez spoke for Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event on Thursday, delivering a rallying cry to get out Latino voters. During an event in Las Vegas, Lopez addressed the crowd directly, at times speaking in both English and Spanish, echoing many of the frustrations that exist among Puerto Rican Americans.
The singer emphasized her importance to the Latino vote, urging voters to use their voices. “Your voice and your vote matter,” she said, urging the audience to take full advantage of the democratic process. She vividly spoke of immigrant family struggles, but Latino representation in 2024 counts. “This is our country too,” she said, pushing against what she described as a tidal wave of anti-Latino rhetoric that’s come through over the years in political debates. At one point, Lopez struggled to contain tears and said, “Our pain matters. We matter.” The audience-a combination of Latino leaders and young voters from all across responded with rousing applause.
In the last few weeks, several Puerto Rican musicians and artists have come out in support of Harris, with reggaeton stars Bad Bunny and Nicky Jam among those speaking out. Bad Bunny brought attention to Harris’s policy initiatives on Puerto Rico, even posting her campaign’s platform on his social media, and Nicky Jam, who had earlier endorsed former President Trump, publicly rescinded his endorsement, saying, “Puerto Rico deserves respect.”.
Harris has doubled down on her outreach to Latino voters, particularly, as the campaign launched a new Spanish-language ad aimed at Puerto Rican voters in several key states. At the rally, she spoke out about recent comments from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump event that disparaged Puerto Ricans, underlining her message that “we are scientists, educators, poets, and heroes.”
For example, the Las Vegas rally fits into a larger strategy by Harris to energize the Latino electorate, from immigration policy to women’s rights. Now that the election is days away, the campaign is pushing battleground states closer together by stressing the importance of the Latino vote in deciding America’s future.
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