Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, November 7, 2024…
- Details are still coming in about how voting demographics broke down in the presidential election. But so far, it seems Republicans made big gains with Latino voters, particularly men.
- Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate in Ventura County because of a wind-whipped wildfire that continues to burn out of control. The Mountain Fire is believed to have destroyed dozens of homes so far.
Latino Vote Plays Key Role In Presidential Election
Although details are still coming in about how voting demographics broke down in the election, early exit polling shows Donald Trump and Republicans saw much wider support from Latino voters, particularly Latino men, than in previous elections.
“The question isn’t even whether or not Trump won Latino men or whether Harris won Latino men. The bigger issue here for the Democrats is that there was a rightward shift, and that shift can be explained by a few things,” said Vox Senior Political Reporter Christian Paz. “I think it’s the combination of the effect of the campaigns and the fundamentals of the race. Biden, and then Harris after him, both struggled to define a strong economic message targeted to Latino men that was different from just the broad appeal that was being made.”
According to NBC News, Vice President Harris finished with a slim majority of support from Hispanic voters, at 53%, while Trump vacuumed up about 45% of the vote, a 13-point increase from 2020 and a record high for a Republican presidential nominee.
The Mountain Fire broke out Wednesday morning near Moorpark in Ventura County and is currently 0% contained. As of Thursday morning, the fire has burned 14,500 acres.