Concerns About Inflation Signal More Bad Signs for Democrats With Hispanics

A new Axios-Ipsos poll signals Democrats will continue to lose Hispanic support as concerns about the economy and inflation surpass those about covid-19. Republicans are seen by Latinos as better at handling the economy, and fewer Latinos now say the Democratic party represents people like them than in December.

The poll, conducted among 1,005 Hispanic Americans shows that compared to December 2021, concern about covid-19 has fallen 16 points, while concern about inflation has risen 12 points and concern about foreign conflict has risen 18 points.

Hispanic concern about foreign conflict has risen 18 points since December.

In December 2021, the largest concern among Latinos was covid-19 at 37%, but over the past three months that concern has dropped to just 21%. During the same period, which has seen record high inflation and a tumultuous situation in Eastern Europe, Latino concern with inflation has risen from 22% to 34%, and concern with foreign conflict has skyrocketed from 5% to 23%.

Below are the top concerns of Latino Americans from the poll.

Latino view poll

The same poll finds fewer Hispanics now say the Democratic party represents people like them than in December (32% vs. 38%), and Republicans are seen as handling the economy better than Democrats (24% vs. 19%).

Republicans are seen as handling the economy better than Democrats among Hispanics.

A recent YouGov survey shows Hispanics are significantly more concerned about inflation than Blacks, with Hispanics saying 45% to 9% that inflation is a bigger concern than unemployment, while Blacks say so 30% to 8%. Fifty-eight percent of non-college White men say inflation is a bigger concern, as do 76% of White college educated men, 57% of White non-college women, and 60% of White college educated women.

Hispanics are also more concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine than Blacks and Whites without a college degree. A full 47% of Hispanics are very concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, compared to 39% of Blacks.  Forty-six percent of White non-college men are very concerned, while 59% of White male college grads are very concerned. Fifty-eight percent of White non-college women and 60% of White female college grads are very concerned.

Inflation and the threat of foreign conflict are increasingly important to Hispanics, and the fact that the country faces the highest inflation rate in forty years and an aggressive foreign power do not bode well for the party in charge.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Democrats are struggling with Hispanic voters, MRF has reported on a multitude of factors which are playing a role in the Hispanic exodus from the Democratic Party.

Biden’s approval rating with Hispanics has fallen a full 14 points since his inauguration, dropping from 61% in January 2021 to 47% this month according to YouGov.

Biden’s approval rating with Hispanics has fallen a full 14 points since his inauguration.

The latest YouGov survey shows a substantial share of Hispanics don’t trust President Biden on the Russian-Ukraine debacle, as well as a number of other leadership qualities.

In the February 28th-March 3rd YouGov poll, just 37% of Hispanics say they approve of the way Biden has been handling our foreign policy, compared to 40% who disapprove and 22% who aren’t sure.

The same survey shows only one-third of Hispanics (33%) say they are confident about Biden’s handling of an international crisis, compared to 38% who say they feel uneasy about it and 30% who aren’t sure.

Only one-third of Hispanics (33%) say they are confident about Biden’s handling of an international crisis.

On top of that, just 28% of Hispanics say they think Biden has a clear plan for U.S. strategy with Ukraine, compared to 44% who say they don’t think Biden has a plan and 29% who aren’t sure.

The fact that Hispanics are now disproportionately concerned with foreign conflict and inflation at a time where Democrat policies have exacerbated both could jeopardize the party’s chances this Fall. President Biden continues to lose Hispanic support, and the Democratic party is continuing to push away the Latino vote.