Biden campaign to air new ad in battleground states that argues GOP policies will hurt Latino voters

For the third time in under a month, the Biden campaign will be airing a TV ad aimed at Latino voters, a voting group that made up a key part of President Biden's successful 2020 coalition — and one that's being wooed by 2024 Republican presidential contenders, too, including former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP primary frontrunner.

The ad, called "The Difference," or "La Diferencia," will go up next week in top markets across battleground states, including Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to a senior campaign adviser. It will also run on digital platforms in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Senior campaign advisers say it will be the first ad presenting a contrast between the parties that focuses on Latinos, arguing that the Republican agenda will hurt Latinos.

"Some talk. Others do. In our community, we know the difference," the narrator says in the ad, which will air in both Spanish and English versions. 

The 30- second ad sets up the choice between the two parties in 2024 as one "between an agenda that is lowering costs and investing in Latino communities and their businesses" and the one of "MAGA Republicans, whose platform only serves the wealthy and powerful."

"The Difference" / "La Diferencia" — Biden campaign ad

It goes on to say, "President Biden's campaign knows Latinos' political power and is investing early and aggressively to make his case because we won't take their votes for granted."

The ad buy will be in the 7-digit range and is part of a $25 million ad blitz by the Biden campaign as it tries to reach Latino and Black voters in key areas of the national battleground landscape. It's the largest ad buy by a presidential campaign at this early stage of the primary cycle. 

Jamie Florez, the Hispanic outreach and communications director for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement, "Democrats have taken the Hispanic community for granted for far too long. No amount of money spent will change the fact that Biden is a disaster for our community, from the economy, to the border, and rising crime."

He added, "Under Republican leadership, we enjoyed the lowest unemployment rate, highest home ownership rate, and highest average incomes than ever before, which is why Hispanic voters will continue to vote Republican for cycles to come."

Last week, on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Biden campaign launched its first ad in Spanglish, a mix of English and Spanish. The 15-second spot is running on sports content platforms including Spanish-language networks like Telemundo and on TV in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona, according to the campaign spokesperson.

In an interview with CBS News Thursday, Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said the new ad was a way of reminding Latino voters of "the choice that they have before them: a president and the vice president that are fighting for Latino workers, and fighting to ensure that we're increasing wages and protections for Latino workers — versus, you know, Republican Party that continues to ship jobs overseas, that continues to attack immigrants, that continues to you know — really just has been horrible for the American worker."

She suggested that any of the president's opponents, "are coming with the same extreme agenda that we've seen time and time again, whether it's from folks like Trump or DeSantis, or whomever else may be."

A senior campaign adviser says that the ad will preview the campaign's message countering next week's second GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, California, where several members of the Biden campaign team will be traveling.

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Fin Gómez

Fin Gómez is CBS News' political director.

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