More than two-thirds of the U.S. Latino electorate live in six states -- Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas -- but one progressive advocacy organization has been working on having anti-Latino and anti-immigrant representatives accountable and heard for Latinos across the country, especially for the presidential election season.
The midterm and general elections have seen notable disparities with the Latino voter turnout rate. While efforts were made to engage the Latino electorate for the last midterm election, especially during the immigration reform debate, the numbers are reportedly lower than the 2010 midterms. Voto Latino President and CEO spoke with Latin Post about comparing the midterm and presidential election cycles and on mobilizing the Latino voter bloc.
U.S. Latino voters felt less enthusiastic about President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party for the immigration executive action delay, and polling data suggests the wait resulted in Latino voters staying home for the midterm election.
Millennials represent the largest generation in the United States, and with a Latino turning 18 years old every 30 seconds, Latino millennials have become an important voting electorate. However, despite their growing numbers, mobilizing Latino millennials is a challenge on all political party's radar. For the launch of Latin Post's "Turnout" series, Latin Post speaks one-on-one with two leading and national organizations that are committed to mobilizing millennials to participate and vote.
The midterm elections have shown Latinos maintained their support for the Democratic Party, but exit polling have identified the GOP attracting voters.
While 25.2 million Latinos are eligible to in the 2014 midterm elections, nearly 1.2 million eligible Latino voters live across eight states with "competitive" U.S. senate races. The eight competitive senate races, recognized by Pew Research Center, are Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and North Carolina.
Latinos may be the fastest growing population in the U.S., but it might not affect most of the 435 congressional districts across the U.S., according to the latest Pew Hispanic Center findings.
By Brent Wilkes, LULAC National Executive Director
Latinos are justifiably angry that their policy priority keeps getting shunted aside. However, if we expect things to change, then we need to act to change them.
Senate Democrats in narrow reelection races could have been impacted by President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration. While Obama decided to postpone an executive action until after the November elections, eligible Latino voters are few in hotly contested states.
For Latinos, immigration reform has to happen before this year's midterm elections. According to new polling figures, Latinos believe the GOP will be "most responsible" if reforms are not passed.
On Nov. 22, 1963 - 50 years ago today, the world in which Americans lived would change in a heartbeat with the horrifying news that their beloved President John. F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy resonated with many Americans, especially with Mexican-American voters, and also won the affection of many Latinos living in Latin America.
