LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Mitt Romney is looking to woo Hispanics with promises of a stronger economy, facing a large gathering of the influential voting bloc for the first time since immigration was thrust into the forefront of the presidential contest.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee on Thursday is addressing the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. President Barack Obama will speak to the same group Friday.

Romney has struggled in recent days to clarify his immigration policy as he pivots from the harsh rhetoric that defined the monthslong GOP primary to a general election audience in which Latinos will play a critical role. The stakes are high not only for states with larger Hispanic populations such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado, but for a growing number of other battlegrounds — Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia, among them — where even a modest shift among Latino voters could be significant.