Kerry Makes Push for Hispanic, Black Votes
Wed Jun 30, 2004 06:50 AM ET

By Mark Egan

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Seeking support from minorities in November's presidential election, Democratic candidate John Kerry on Tuesday promised Hispanics he would help illegal immigrants gain citizenship and told blacks he would make college more affordable.

Speaking in Phoenix to the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, Kerry pledged to sign a bill in his first 100 days in office to allow undocumented workers to apply for citizenship if they have paid taxes for five years and have no criminal record -- a proposal that brought the large crowd of Latinos to its feet.

In Chicago earlier at a conference of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Massachusetts senator promised $10 billion to help states defray education costs -- funding he said would be contingent on state universities keeping tuition increases to no more than the rate of inflation.

The two events were aimed squarely at winning the country's two biggest minority voting blocs, who are certain to be a crucial factor in November.

Blacks have been a loyal Democratic constituency, but Kerry has been criticized by some black Democrats for having too few members of minorities in his inner circle.

He also faces increased competition for the fast-growing Hispanic vote, a prime target of Republicans. President Bush won 35 percent of Hispanic support in 2000 in his race against Democrat Al Gore.