Experts said the Latino electorate is growing, diverse and increasingly prominent in U.S. politics and could swing this election for either candidate.
“Not only is the Hispanic population growing, but they live in a lot of really important battleground states that are essentially going to be key in determining who wins this election.” said Gabriel Sanchez, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin. New Mexico.
Nowhere in the United States is this more evident than in New Mexico, where more than half the population is Hispanic and which has elected a Hispanic governor for the third time in a row.
new mexico latinos
New Mexico has the highest percentage of Latino residents of any state in the nation.
With just over a month left until the state's presidential primary, millions of dollars are being poured into campaign activities.
For example, Lee County in southeastern New Mexico is about 60% Hispanic, and voting results in such an area could be a political treasure trove.
“There are 7,000 people in Lee County who are eligible to become citizens,” said Edujes Hernandez, a volunteer with Somos un Pueblo Unido, a nonprofit organization that supports immigrant rights.
“When election time comes, we go out into the streets and knock on doors to find these people so they can become citizens and vote.”
Ernie Sedebaca, president and CEO of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, said politicians are also beginning to recognize the power of this group.
“In the last five or six years, they've started to realize that they have an opportunity to give Latinos the right to vote. They should do everything in their power to make sure they're registered, and both sides are doing that.” ” he said.
Biden or Trump?
In 2020, current US President Joe Biden won New Mexico by 10 points over former President Donald Trump. Some Republicans believe the message needs to be improved.
“We're divided into so many different factions: health care, abortion, women's rights,” said Jim Garcia, executive director of Associated Contractors of New Mexico.
“We need to be united in our message. We can't sweep this under the rug and say it's not our problem or we'll deal with it later, because our message is being lost now. .”
Nationally, immigration will be a key issue for voters heading into the election.
Polls show that Latinos are more likely to oppose some of President Trump's hard-line views, such as building a wall on the southern border.
The data also suggests that a majority of Latino voters side with Democrats on reproductive rights issues.
In the last election, Mr. Biden was about twice as popular as Mr. Trump among Latino voters.
But the economy could be a big driver heading into Election Day. While voters' motivations may vary widely, some research shows that Trump's promise of greater prosperity is gaining momentum.
A recent poll from USA Today and Suffolk University shows Trump currently has a 5-point lead among that demographic, which is a positive sign for Republicans.
latino vote
Rochelle Williams, founder of the advocacy group BlueCD2, is working to crush Republican hopes in New Mexico.
She founded the organization in 2021 with the goal of flipping the district to Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, which she accomplished by a narrow margin.
Experts said strong support for Democrats among Latinos helped prevent a so-called “red wave” of Republican victories in House and Senate races across the country.
Now, Williams wants to keep that momentum going. Her online tool aims to show voters how the party supports people in their constituency.
“We have a job to do, and what we're doing is changing the narrative here. Telling voters what's going on and supporting economic and social justice policies coming out of a Democratic administration.” “It’s for the sake of it,” she said.
