February 16, 2020 - Klobuchar Says “It’s on me” to Build Diverse Coalition of Voter Support

On ABC’s This Week, Klobuchar acknowledges the low level of support she has won in the presidential contest from Black and Latino voters. She says of her plan to increase that support in upcoming primaries, “Well, that’s going to be on me. I need people to get to know me.” She cites the increased attention to and financial support of her campaign after the New Hampshire primary as helping to increase her visibility among these voters, adding, “And so it’s on me as we have all this money now we’re finally — finally able to run ads in Nevada, run ads in south Carolina and beyond.” That’s a big difference. People don’t know me and then I’m going to emphasize my record of equal opportunity, the work that I’ve done in leading so many voting rights bills including automatically registering kids to vote when they turn 18, getting rid of gerrymandering. I have a strong record when it comes to voting rights and equal opportunity.” On both ABC and NBC’s Meet the Press, Klobuchar is asked about her record as a prosecutor and specifically evidence of missteps and racial bias. She acknowledges there is “systemic racism in the criminal justice system.” She faced more questions, specifically about her role in the possible wrongful conviction of a Black teenager and calls for her to suspend her campaign, in the next Democratic presidential debate (February 19, 2020). This issue, along with greater direct outreach efforts to Black and Latino voters by other candidates, help to explain Klobuchar’s struggles to win support among both men and women in these communities.