While the medium is still the message, in the 2016 elections, language is quickly becoming part of the message too. A great example of candidates’ efforts to communicate its message is Tim Kaine’s first speech as Hillary Clinton’s running mate, partly in the language of many Latinos, Spanish.

Hillary Clinton and Nydia Velázquez

Of all the messages Kaine sent during his address at Florida International University, his bilingualism was by far the strongest of all, one that dominated Latino media coverage of the event and emphasized Democrats’ alignment with issues Latinos care about most. While his speech covered topics important to Latinos – religion, family, education and immigration reform – his personal experience and use of Spanish validated the “Latino experience” and appeared to be aimed at the many Latinos who, although eligible to vote, seldom go to the polls.

It was exciting to hear Kaine discuss “los valores del pueblo, fe, familia y trabajo” (the values of the people, faith, family and work) to a roaring crowd, but it’s important to note that his speech came on the heels of the efforts that several primary election candidates – both Republicans and Democrats – made to sway the 27-million-and-growing pool of eligible Latino voters.

To put this all in better perspective, we analyzed candidates’ communications directed at Latinos. Those who did little or whose information was not available online were not included in this analysis.

Ted Cruz

Despite his Cuban background, Ted Cruz’s Latino outreach was modest. Hispanic media did not interview or cover him as much as other candidates. The few TV ads in Spanish we found highlighted Cruz’s Cuban-American heritage and called him a “family man of faith,” both important traits for Latino voters. Cruz also noted that Latinos have higher military enrollment than any other ethnic group, something most politicians don’t regularly mention. On a visit to the Bronx, Cruz talked about the values he shares with Latinos, including family, patriotism and the pursuit of the American dream. However, any momentum he may have gained was lost when Marco Rubio, during a debate, ridiculed his inability to speak Spanish.

Cruz found it difficult to enlist wide Latino support because of his controversial positions on immigration, such as opposing any legal status for undocumented workers and supporting the end of birthright citizenship. Cruz deserves credit for giving Univision anchor Jorge Ramos an interview, something that many politicians, including Donald Trump, would not do. In the interview Cruz articulated his stance on immigration.

Jeb Bush

Fluent in Spanish, Jeb Bush leveraged his wife’s Mexican heritage and his sons’ biculturalism to appeal to Latinos. His ads showed him and his sons speaking Spanish and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. He demonstrated his Spanish language proficiency with Latino media, including in a Telemundo interview, in which he pointed out that his sons, like many Latinos, have experienced discrimination. While this strategy scored points with Latinos, it also opened him to attacks from Donald Trump, who suggested that Bush stick to English when in the U.S.

Bush’s wife, Columba, also appeared in one of the ads speaking about her family traditions including going to church every Sunday, a message that resonates well with Latinos, 82 percent of whom claim to be religious. Bush’s immigration plan was widely covered by Latino media. He supported immigration reform, including providing legal status to undocumented immigrants, while strengthening border security and opposing “sanctuary” cities.

Bush also tried to appeal to older Cuban-Americans, a largely conservative group, by emphasizing his disagreement with President Obama’s normalization of relations with Cuba.

Bernie Sanders

Focusing on family and labor conditions to present his candidacy to Latinos, Sanders created several Spanish-language videos, including one titled “Tenemos Familias (We Have Families),” which explained how Sanders helped improve conditions for Latino tomato workers in Florida. Except for an ad in Spanish about immigration, the Sanders ads we found were developed in English and translated. We found no other ads with creative specifically developed for the Latino voter, which we believe would have been more powerful than translations of English-language ads.

In an interview with Fusion – Univision’s English-language service targeting younger Latinos –  Sanders spoke about his proposals for free college education, a key issue for Latinos who are 10 years younger, on average, than other Americans and less likely to go to college than other major American demographics.

Income inequality and free college education were key topics that the Sanders campaign used in its Latino outreach. We did not find inconsistencies between what Sanders said to Latino media and to general market media, something that other candidates were accused of doing. His website did a good job of summarizing these and other issues important to Latinos.

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio appealed to Latinos by speaking about his family’s immigrant story, detailing their journey from Cuba and his own story of achieving the American dream despite humble beginnings as the son of a bartender and a maid – a powerful statement of hope that aligns with many Latinos’ experience and aspirations.

In speeches, interviews and emotional TV ads such as “Bartender,” Rubio talked about his parents’ hard work, pointing out that his family achieved prosperity thanks to limited government and free enterprise. This had the potential to resonate among thousands of Latino entrepreneurs, our nation’s fastest-growing small-business segment.

Like Bush, Rubio also found himself the target of Trump’s attacks for his use of Spanish. He deflected that criticism by telling the story of his grandfather who loved America but couldn’t speak English.

On Univision’s Al Punto, the Hispanic “Meet the Press,” Rubio said that if elected he would not immediately rescind President Obama’s executive action on immigration, better known as DACA. Cruz used this interview in an ad, accusing Rubio of dishonesty by presenting himself to conservative audiences as tough while espousing an inconsistent position on DACA to Latinos.

Hillary Clinton
Clinton executed what was probably the most comprehensive Latino outreach strategy. From securing endorsements from celebrities and politicians to capitalizing on Trump’s negative immigration rhetoric, Clinton gained more positive Latino media exposure than any other candidate.

Like other candidates, Clinton’s messages in ads and speeches focused on issues important to Latinos, e.g., immigration reform, education, the economy and health coverage. However, no other candidate secured as many high-profile endorsements as she did. These included Linda Sanchez, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and 19-year old Mexican-American heartthrob Luis Coronel, who sang the national anthem to open one of her rallies.

Clinton also recently launched an ad that addresses Donald Trump’s statements about illegal immigration, a direct jab at her general-election opponent. Her campaign probably hopes to motivate more Latinos to vote, given that this has traditionally been a challenge for this demographic.

Clinton not only made the rounds on all major Spanish-language news and political shows. She was also interviewed live in two popular, entertainment-focused Latino radio morning shows, El Show de Piolin and El Show de Don Cheto. These interviews aired just as the critical California primaries were to take place.

It’s no surprise, then, that Clinton’s running mate, Tim Kaine, is now taking the lead on Latino outreach, using both his personal experience and facility in Spanish to sway a segment of the population that is considered vital to a winning campaign.