Midterm Election Update: GOP Gaining Minority Voters But Hispanics Remain Largely Democratic
Reports of GOP voters since 2012 have seen increases among minorities, but Latinos stuck to voting Democrat during the Midterm Elections on Nov. 4.
Despite a shift in voting along a more conservative party line, the Hispanic votes were 2 to 1 for the Democratic candidate, and at least 64 percent of the Hispanic votes nationwide were Democrat, the New York Times reported.
But in some key races, such as New Mexico and Nevada, the Hispanic Republican governors won re-election.
This showcased the party's ability to succeed when it runs strong candidates in the largely Hispanic areas.
In some states Republicans took 40 percent of the votes, according to the Pew Research Center.
Democrats received 60 percent or slightly more of the votes, but in 2012 they had a higher margin -- 68 percent of the votes.
The delay in immigration reform was a key factor in the switch to Republican votes, since many reflect the party policy of the President to be at play.
And some Democratic candidates, such as in Colorado, failed to reach out to the Hispanic population and highlight the lack of progress on immigration reform, which cost them voters, the NYT reported.
But another issue in the Hispanic demographic was the lack of votes altogether.
While 11 percent of Latinos are eligible voters, only 8 percent showed up at the polls, Pew reported.
This was a clear sign from the voters about the Republican efforts to block immigration reform, and the abandonment of the issue by the Democrats, according to an opinion piece in the Edmond Sun.
"From North Carolina to Texas, Hispanics did vote -- with their feet, by staying home," according to the Edmond Sun.
The immigration issue is one that is at the top of the list for Latinos, and will continue to be so until action is taken.
Six in 10 Hispanic-Americans know someone who is an undocumented immigrant in this country, and in 2013 at least 100,000 parents were forcibly separated from their children, the Edmond Sun reported.
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