The growing concept of political candidates campaigning in foreign languages reflects the increasing diversity of the American electorate and the perceived strategic need to connect with non-English-speaking communities.
This trend has gained momentum in recent years, with candidates producing ads in languages like Spanish, Arabic, and others to broaden their appeal. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani recently released a viral campaign ad entirely in Arabic, where he addressed voters, acknowledged his imperfect language skills, and outlined his progressive agenda. This Arabic ad, shared on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, aimed to resonate with Muslim and Arab-American New Yorkers.
Previously, Mamdani had produced a Spanish-language ad, speaking directly to Latino New Yorkers. Spanish has emerged as the most common foreign language for alternative campaign videos, given the large Hispanic population in the U.S. and its electoral significance in battleground states. Democratic examples include Vice President Kamala Harris’s Spanish-language ads. Democrat Xavier Becerra used Spanish TikTok videos in their California gubernatorial bid, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell launched WhatsApp efforts in Florida to reach Spanish speakers.
Republicans have also adopted this approach, as seen in Rick Scott’s airing of Spanish TV spots in Florida and Greg Abbott’s efforts to court Hispanic voters in the Texas gubernatorial race. These multilingual campaigns are designed to appeal to a diverse range of voters, potentially increasing turnout. However, critics argue that they should be limited to English only, emphasizing that it is the dominant language in the country and promotes national unity.
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