Klobuchar on lack of minority support: ‘I need people to get to know me’

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a 2020 White House hopeful, commented on Sunday on her lack of minority support nationally, saying she needs “people to get to know her.”
ABC’s Martha Raddatz asked Klobuchar on “This Week” what her plan was to boost support among minority voters as the Democratic presidential race heads to more diverse states.
“That’s gonna be on me. I need people to get to know me,” Klobuchar said.
“I’ve always gotten high support in all of my elections with the Hispanic and African-American communities in my state,” she added.
“That is a start.”
.@MarthaRaddatz: “You cannot win the nomination without the support of minority voters … whats your plan?”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar: “That’s gonna be on me. I need people to get to know me.” https://t.co/P6iz1jjwYE pic.twitter.com/U01FTybsB1
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 16, 2020
The ABC host pushed back, asking, “Aren’t you running out of time with these minority voters?”
“No, because my name identification in states outside of the early few states was not that high simply because I didn’t have the money unlike Bloomberg to run more ads during your show than I am on being interviewed during your show,” Klobuchar responded, referring to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a late entry in the 2020 race. “I get that. That’s what happens.”
The senator also said she would highlight her record promoting “equal opportunity” efforts as attention shifts to Nevada and South Carolina.
{mosads}Raddatz highlighted two recent polls showing Klobuchar with low backing among minority voters, including one from Quinnipiac University that found the Minnesota senator with 0 percent support among African Americans and a Monmouth University poll showing 1 percent backing among Hispanic, black, Asian and other minority Democratic voters.
Klobuchar finished strong in New Hampshire, trailing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the Granite State’s primary. But some experts note that New Hampshire and Iowa lack the levels of diversity seen in the Democratic Party nationally, suggesting the senator and Buttigieg will face difficulty in the upcoming states.
The Nevada caucuses will take place next Saturday.