Kamala Harris to visit Houston for Hispanic outreach event

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Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Houston on Monday to tout the Biden administration’s accomplishments for the Latino community, a key voting bloc as the president runs for reelection next year.

Harris will take part in a “community conversation” hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, according to an announcement first shared with The Texas Tribune. It will serve as the latest stop in the caucus’s “On the Road” series of events across the country to get out the word about how Democrats are helping the Hispanic community.

“This is an opportunity for the CHC and the Vice President to talk about all that Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration have delivered for our Latino communities already and the work ahead to lay the groundwork for a brighter future for all Latinos,” the caucus chair, Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., said in a statement.

Barragán will join Harris for the conversation, as will U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston. The event will take place at a health department center in her district, which is one of the most heavily Hispanic congressional districts in the country. Garcia said in a statement that Harris’ visit “emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing the specific needs of the Latino population.”

Harris will also host a fundraiser for Joe Biden’s reelection campaign during the trip to Houston, according to an invitation.

Harris’ visit comes as the Biden campaign focuses in on shoring up Latino support ahead of a potential rematch against former President Donald Trump next year. Biden won Hispanic voters by a wide margin in 2020, according to exit polls, but Trump did slightly better than he did four years earlier.

In Texas, Republicans have been making an aggressive, well-funded effort to gain ground with Hispanic voters, especially in South Texas. They underperformed expectations there in the 2022 election but still picked up seats and are targeting U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, again next year.