PHOENIX (AP) – Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine on Thursday delivered what may be the first presidential campaign speech entirely in Spanish as part of Hillary Clinton’s push into traditionally Republican Arizona.
The senator from Virginia spoke entirely in Spanish for about half hour a small crowd in a largely Hispanic area of Phoenix. He touched on immigration reform, the economy and the importance of being inclusive. He also criticized Republican Donald Trump’s comments about Latinos and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s immigration raids.
“With so much at stake for the Hispanic community, it’s important that our campaign use the language that so many families around the country use,” Kaine said with a slight accent to a group of about 150.
The speech comes as Democrats court Latinos in Arizona in hopes of a historic win there on Tuesday. Only one Democratic candidate, Bill Clinton in 1996, has won the state since 1948. Nearly a third of the state is Hispanic, and it’s home to 11 electoral votes.
Hearing a candidate for national office deliver an entire speech in Spanish was effective for some attendees in a year in which Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has proposed a crackdown on illegal immigrants, a border wall Mexico would pay for and has called Mexicans illegally coming over the border rapists.