Former Vice President Joe Biden is struggling with Latino voters, according to recent Insider polling.

Satisfaction with Biden among Latino voters likely to vote in the Democratic primary is about 40% – 15% below his support among white voters and a whopping 26% short of his support among black voters.

This will likely hurt Biden in two of the most important presidential primaries next year: Texas and California, which have the two largest Latino populations in the country.

Biden’s underperformance could stem from the fact that Latino Democrats skew younger and more liberal than other demographic groups.

And Biden has faced significant criticism from Latino leaders and immigrants‘ rights advocates over his positions and rhetoric on immigration policy.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden is struggling with Latino voters, according to recent Insider polling.

Satisfaction with Biden among Latinos who say they’ll vote in their state’s Democratic primary is about 40% – 15% below his support among white voters, 14% below his support among Asian voters, and a whopping 26% short of his support among black voters.

The top two candidates running to Biden’s left – Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren – both perform significantly better among Latinos. While Sanders‘ approval is at 57%, Warren’s approval is at 54%.

Biden’s relative lack of support among Latino voters will likely hurt him in two of the most important presidential primaries next year in Texas and California. The two states have the largest numbers of eligible Latino voters in the country, and California moved up its primary to Super Tuesday, which is on March 3.

Latino Democrats skew younger and more liberal than other ethnic groups. And Biden has significantly lower approval ratings among younger and more left-leaning Democratic voters.

One specific factor in Biden’s lower appeal among Latinos may be his approach to immigration policy, which has been criticized by many on the left.

Biden came under fire from immigrants‘ rights activists and other critics after he used language they regarded as demeaning while answering a question about immigration policy during a Democratic debate in July. Biden said then that immigrants should „get in line“ with American law and he expressed support for policies that would „cherry-pick“ highly-skilled immigrants to admit into the country.

Foto: sourceInsider Data

The former vice president has also faced criticism over his support for the Obama administration’s deportation policies.

Earlier this month, Biden unveiled his immigration plan, which would reverse many of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including its policy of holding migrants in camps in Mexico and ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

He’s also recently expressed sympathy for families torn apart by deportation.

„The idea that anyone will be deported without actually having committed a felony or a serious crime is going to end in my administration,“ he said at a town hall in Las Vegas in December.

But Biden’s immigration policy wouldn’t include decriminalizing border crossings – something his more progressive opponents, including Sanders, Warren, and Julián Castro, support.