Three of the most powerful voices in the Latino voting bloc, including Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign manager, met with NBC Bay Area on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to discuss the critical Latino vote.
The trio of Julie Chávez Rodriguez, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, and Voto Latino co-founder Maria Teresa Kumar agrees Latino voters in California have differing concerns and demands than a Latino voter in Florida or Texas -- and failure to understand those differences could very likely mean watching those traditionally Democratic voters move to the other side of the aisle.
"It was a wake up call that the Latino vote cannot and should not be taken for granted," Padilla said.
Kumar said Voto Latino by Election Day will have registered half a million new Latino voters.
"Once we register you, we keep bothering you," she said about the next challenge on getting new voters to the polls.
Padilla said the model is working.
Chavez Rodriguez, who is the granddaughter of labor leader Cesar Chavez, said the Latino vote will be key in November, and winning that vote is complicated. She adds one key is as old as politics itself: Getting her candidate in front of those voters.
The trio was honored Tuesday at an annual luncheon held by the Latino Leaders Network, a non-partisan national group creating a network of national leaders.
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