Puerto Rico isn’t on the 2024 map, but Biden is betting big on voters from the island

Kamala Harris made her first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president as Biden’s campaign airs ads there in hopes of reaching voters on the U.S. mainland.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Ricans on the island can’t vote for president this November. But those who are from the U.S. territory and live on the mainland are becoming a major priority for Joe Biden’s campaign. 

Trading in chilly Washington for tropical temperatures, Vice President Kamala Harris landed in Puerto Rico on Friday for her first official visit to Puerto Rico since taking office, touting the Biden administration’s support for the island as it continues to rebuild following several hurricanes.

The vice president highlighted how the Biden administration has invested more than $140 billion in Puerto Rico to improve infrastructure, support clean energy and increase access to capital for small businesses. She visited a home outside San Juan to show how a program funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development is helping rebuild and repair homes. 

“I think it’s critically important to remember this island is home to some of the most talented and innovative people in our nation,” said Harris, who last visited Puerto Rico as a senator in 2017.

The administration is trying to sell what it says are its accomplishments on the island as the Puerto Rican diaspora on the U.S. mainland gains more political clout ahead of what’s expected to be a tight presidential race. The crucial swing state of Pennsylvania has the third-largest population of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. — about 500,000 — behind Florida and New York. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/puerto-rico-voters-biden-harris-trip-rcna144383

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