By TERRY TANG and LINLEY SANDERS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is viewed more favorably by Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander registered voters than former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll. AAPI voters are also more likely to believe that she is the candidate who better represents their background and policy views.

The new survey from AAPI Data and APIAVote finds that around 6 in 10 AAPI voters have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Harris, while about one-third have a somewhat or very unfavorable view. In comparison, 3 in 10 AAPI voters have a positive view of Trump and around two-thirds view him negatively.

That’s an increase in favorability for Harris since October 2023, when an AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll found that about half of AAPI adults had a somewhat or very favorable view of her. Opinions of Trump among this group have remained stable.

Harris is both Black and South Asian American, and has worked to rally AAPI voters in swing states like Georgia where their numbers are growing. But while the poll indicates that AAPI voters are much more likely to see their own cultural identity reflected in her than in Trump — about half of AAPI voters say Harris better represents their background and culture, while only about 1 in 10 say this about Trump — it’s not clear how much this is influencing their perspectives on the candidates.

Related Articles

Harris owns a gun? Trump wants to cap credit card rates? Party lines blur in campaign’s last stretch

Trump listens during a farming event in rural Pennsylvania, then threatens John Deere with tariffs

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both say food costs too much. What can they do about it?

Trump says, if he loses, 2024 run will be his last

Are Trump and Harris particularly Christian? That’s not what most Americans would say: AP-NORC poll

Only about 3 in 10 AAPI voters say that Harris’ Asian Indian identity is extremely or very important to them, although some AAPI Americans may be more connected to her background than others. About 7 in 10 Asian Indian adults see Harris as the candidate who better represents their background and culture, which is higher than AAPI adults overall.

Ping Hackl, a 27-year-old Chinese American independent in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is planning to vote for Harris, but not because of the Democratic candidate’s race or gender.

“I don’t really care. She can be anybody,” said Hackl.

Hackl says she worries about the preservation of democracy and divisiveness that could lead to political violence. Thus, she feels Trump “is very dangerous to the country.”

In fact, the poll indicates that Harris’ gender may be more salient to AAPI voters than her racial background. While the Harris campaign has avoided emphasizing that she could be the first female president, about half of AAPI women voters say her identity as a woman is extremely or very important to them.

AAPI women are also more likely than AAPI men to say their own background as Asian or Asian American is at least “very” important to how they think of themselves, and they’re also more likely to say this about their identity as a person of color. And younger AAPI voters, between the ages of 18 and 34, are especially likely to care about Harris’ identity as a woman.

“We’ve seen so much organizing from young people as well as AAPI women who are really leading the different ethnic specific affinity groups like the South Asians for women, South Asians for Harris, Korean Americans for Harris, Chinese Americans for Harris,” said Christine Chen, executive director of APIAVote.

And the survey suggests that AAPI voters may be hearing more from Democratic organizers. About 4 in 10 AAPI voters said they have been contacted by the Democratic Party “a great deal” or “some” in the last year, while about 3 in 10 said the same about the Republican Party.

Trump and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance have also recently echoed old stereotypes about Asian Americans and food by amplifying false rumors that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pets, and the poll found that the issue of racism is broadly important for this group. About 7 in 10 AAPI voters say they “could not ever” vote for a candidate who does not share their view on racism or discrimination, making it a bigger “dealbreaker” issue than the economy.

Not all AAPI voters have a negative view of Trump, though. Jihua Ma, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen from China who lives in Boston, leans Republican and voted for Trump in 2020. Ma feels Trump is still the most effective leader.

“I recognize that he’s mean, and he sometimes posts mean pictures,” Ma said. “I’m electing someone to really run this country, not someone to be a friend, a nice person.”

Ma wants someone who will get inflation and the border under control, and he’s unsatisfied with Harris’ proposals on those issues. “I don’t see her policy has a solid platform,” Ma said, adding that he couldn’t think of any accomplishments Harris has made as vice president or as a senator from California.

And it’s still possible that Trump could make inroads with AAPI voters, although the gap in popularity between the candidates leaves a lot of ground to make up. “An issue where the Republican Party could chip away AAPI support is on the economy and on crime,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and executive director of AAPI Data. “And I think this is where, you know, Harris has tried to blunt some of those critiques by offering some proposals.”

Tang reported from Phoenix.

More than 100 products threw their proverbial hat into the ring to be crowned the “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” and now only eight products remain.

Last week, voters decided Spam, a folding bow saw from Sven-Saw and a Minnetronix Medical device that tests for concussions weren’t among the best the state has to offer, making for even stiffer competition this week.

The competition, hosted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and BMO Bank, pits products against each other each week in a head-to-head format, with the public voting to decide which product is deserving of the title.

This week voters will determine the final four from these matchups:

Sugar from the American Crystal Sugar Co. versus Action Trackchair, an all-terrain wheelchair, from Action Manufacturing
JonnyPops’ frozen Rainbow Fruit Stacks versus Floating wetland islands from Midwest Floating Island
The leather Beckman boot from Red Wing Shoe Co. versus Industrial 3D printer from Stratasys
A new snowmobile from Arctic Cat versus Scotch Magic Tape from 3M

The top four products will be revealed Sept. 30 and voting is open to the public until Oct. 4.

The winner and titular “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” will be announced Oct. 8 at the 2024 Manufacturer’s Summit.

To vote, go to: www.mnchamber.com/coolest-thing-made-minnesota.

Related Articles

Business People: Target Corp. taps veteran PepsiCo. exec as new CFO

Minnesota’s first medicinal mushroom dispensary opens in St. Paul

Oakdale prop fabrication company behind well-known advertisements acquired by Minneapolis marketing firm

‘Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota’ narrows the competition to 16 products. Which product will get your vote?

Business People: America’s Crisis Guru James Lukaszewski honored by PR society

As the Ramsey County Board sets next year’s maximum tax levy Tuesday, the sheriff, deputies’ union and city managers are raising the alarm that it won’t be enough to cover competitive wages for deputies.

Sheriff Bob Fletcher said employees are leaving for higher-paid jobs, and it’s “no secret that it is more difficult than ever for law enforcement and public safety agencies across the country to recruit and retain talent,” he wrote in a letter this month to County Manager Ling Becker.

The deputies’ union contract expires at the end of this year and Fletcher wrote that, in order to remain competitive, he believes deputies should get at least a 22 percent raise spread over three years. He said that would be comparable to Minneapolis Police and Minnesota State Patrol salary increases.

But concerns about recruiting and retaining deputies “is unlikely to be addressed” in the county’s proposed maximum tax levy of 4.75 percent for next year’s budget, Fletcher wrote.

Becker said in a Monday statement that “law enforcement officer recruitment and retention continues to be challenging throughout the state, including here in Ramsey County.”

“This is the case despite the historical changes we were able to achieve in collaboration with our law enforcement labor partners during the last negotiation cycle,” she continued. “Upcoming bargaining may present an additional opportunity for us to work collaboratively to balance recruitment and retention issues while at the same time working within the county’s financial parameters.”

The county board votes on the maximum tax levy Tuesday and sets the final levy on Dec. 17, which cannot be over the amount established Tuesday. There was a public hearing on the matter last week, next year’s proposed property tax statement will be mailed to property owners in mid- to late-November and there will be another public hearing in December.

Next year’s proposed budget for the county totals $848.5 million — a five percent increase from the 2024 budget of $808.49 million.

Diversity also affected by pay

The problem of finding and hiring qualified law enforcement is widespread. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry told the City Council last week that the department was down 60 officers from its authorized strength of 619, which he said wasn’t as bad as some other agencies, but comes at a high price in overtime to fill shifts.

The city of St. Paul approved 13% in wage increase over three years for officers between this year and 2026. The starting pay for a St. Paul officer is $84,365, according to the St. Paul Police Federation.

The sheriff’s office is short 10 deputies from its allowed number of 188. It’s “not a crisis yet but the trend that we’re seeing of people leaving for higher-paying jobs tells us there will be a crisis,” Fletcher said, adding they’re also seeing fewer people applying because of the salary.

Ramsey County’s deputies starting pay is $66,107. They received wage increases of 15 to 33 percent, spread between 2021 and 2024, in their last contract; the most significant increases were for those who made the least, according to the Ramsey County Deputies’ Federation.

Related Articles

St. Anthony: Zoning request for community center, mosque expected to be voted on Tuesday

Ramsey County prosecutor receiving Carnegie Medal for saving man from building’s edge

Early voting turnout steady in Ramsey, Dakota, Washington counties

No progress seen in HealthPartners/UnitedHealthcare impasse over Medicare Advantage claim denials

St. Paul shooter sentenced in killing of teen during North End drug deal

The union’s members “are appreciative of the strides taken with respect to wages in the last bargaining agreement but, unfortunately, there remains a growing disparity between the pay of Ramsey County deputies and their law enforcement counterparts,” President Allison Schaber wrote last month to the board of commissioners.

Over the last two-and-a-half years, 25 Ramsey County sheriff’s deputies left to go to other agencies, with employees citing wages at their primary reason, Fletcher wrote. It’s estimated those previous employees are now making $14,000 to $25,000 more annually.

“As wages have become less competitive, there is a growing disproportionate impact felt by people of color and women,” Fletcher wrote. “Ramsey County and the Sheriff’s Office have made great strides in building a workforce that is reflective of the community. Many employees who left for similar but higher paying positions were people of color and/or female. This is because other organizations have also recognized the importance of a diverse and reflective workforce.”

Union: Deputies among lowest paid in metro

Ramsey County commissioners approved a pay raise for themselves last summer, which will take effect next year, and adds 3% for board members and 5% for the chairperson. The raise — described as a cost-of-living increase — moves commissioner salaries from $101,280 to $104,077 and the chair from $104,477 to $109,338. In addition, each commissioner will be awarded an annual allowance of $7,200 to cover work-related expenses.

“We applaud this wage increase and encourage the County Board and all county employees to be paid competitively within the marketplace,” Schaber wrote in her letter to the county board. “It is worth noting, however, that even before this modest increase, Ramsey County commissioners were the second highest paid commissioners in the seven-county metropolitan area in 2024. That makes sense given that Ramsey County is the second most populous county … in the state. We therefore think it reasonable for Ramsey County deputies to be the second highest paid deputies in the … metropolitan area.”

Ramsey County deputies’ top base wages rank sixth out of the seven-county metro area — $0.19 an hour above Carver County “and significantly below the other 5 metro-area sheriff’s departments,” Schaber wrote.

All current labor contracts in Ramsey County expire at the end of this year.

“In years where the budget is set before the results of contract negotiations are finalized, the county sets aside a reasonable amount of funding to account for potential increases,” according to Casper Hill, a Ramsey County spokesperson. “Additionally, Human Resources, Finance, the County Manager’s Office and the board are in contact as negotiations progress to ensure resources are identified and plans are in place to fund negotiated contracts.”

Related Articles

Ramsey County prosecutor receiving Carnegie Medal for saving man from building’s edge

Motorcyclist dies three days after crashing on I-94 on ramp in Hudson

Boy abducted from California in 1951 at age 6 found alive on East Coast more than 70 years later

Two dead, three hurt after a shooting in downtown Minneapolis

St. Paul shooter sentenced in killing of teen during North End drug deal

The sheriff’s office provides police services to seven suburbs in Ramsey County and six of their city managers signed onto a letter to Becker late last week, writing that deputies’ need more competitive wages “to maintain a high-quality and diverse law enforcement team.”

“We recognize that achieving wage parity may require additional budgetary considerations, but we strongly believe that the long-term benefits — both in terms of public safety and community trust — will far outweigh the costs,” the letter continued.

Falcon Heights didn’t sign on to the letter; they are in the process of selecting another law enforcement agency after both they and the sheriff’s office agreed a change was needed.