Hispanic and Latino American politics

Not to be confused with the politics of Latin Americans.

Part of a series of articles on Hispanic and Latino Americans
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Hispanic and Latino Americans have received a growing share of the national vote in the United States by their growing number. They have traditionally been a Democratic constituency, in the main.

Hispanic/Latino Participation and Key Issues

Most Cuban-Americans and Venezuelan-Americans tend to support the Republican Party, while Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Dominican-Americans tend to support the Democratic Party. As the latter groups are far more numerous (Mexican Americans alone are 64% of Hispanics), the Democratic Party is considered to be in a far stronger position among Hispanics overall. The U.S. Census indicates that the Hispanic population of the United States is the fastest growing minority group in the country.

More than 9% of eligible voters nationwide are Latino. The majority support for Democratic candidates continues a pattern among Hispanic voters. As of December 2010, 65% of Latino voters were registered as Democrats and 22% Republican.

In the 2010 midterm elections, 60% of Hispanics voted Democratic, while 38% voted Republican. In 2008 Hispanics supported Obama by 67% to 31%. In 2006, 69% of Latino voters supported Democratic candidates in congressional races, while 30% supported Republican candidates.

According to an October 2010 report by the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics rank education, jobs, and health care as their top three issues of concern. Immigration ranks as the fourth most important issue for all Latinos.

Democrats and Hispanic/Latino Voters

Hispanic/Latino Criticism of the Democratic Party

While support for the Democratic Party among Hispanics has remained strong, some Hispanic leaders have criticized the party for not doing enough to help Hispanic candidates move from city council, legislative and congressional seats to the party's highest elected offices. Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a candidate in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, has noted that victories by Hispanic Republican candidates in several key races during the 2010 election cycle, including Marco Rubio in Florida's U.S. Senate race and the elections of Brian Sandoval as Nevada's first Hispanic governor and Susana Martinez as the country's first Latina governor, have posed a significant challenge to the Democratic Party in retaining support among Hispanic and Latino voters. "Democrats have to recruit more Hispanic candidates and they have to start siding with Hispanics on redistricting and other issues," Richardson said, "because many Hispanics perceive the party doesn't care enough about electing more Hispanic officials."

Other Hispanic Democrats, including former DNC vice-chairwoman Linda Chavez-Thompson, have accused the party of taking Hispanic support for granted, and not doing enough to increase turnout among Latinos: "I think for the longest time [the Democratic Party], including myself, automatically thought that if you were a Latino you voted Democrat," she said. "That’s not true anymore. We need to ramp up our Latino outreach. We can’t sit back and let the Republicans take votes because we don’t have a message for Latino voters." Chavez-Thompson, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 2010, further stated that more money and effort needs to be spent by the Democratic Party and its supporters on targeted messaging, recruitment of Latino candidates, and voter outreach.

Republicans and Hispanic/Latino Voters

Republican Outreach to Hispanic and Latino Voters

Republicans have long maintained their party is a natural fit for Hispanics, particularly recent immigrants, because of the party's social conservatism, anti-abortion stance and positions for private school vouchers and other school choice proposals as well as lower taxes. Republicans are trying to chip away at Hispanics’ overall 2-1 preference for Democrats.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich have taken proactive measures. Jeb Bush chairs the Hispanic Leadership Network, an ongoing effort by the American Action Network and the American Action Forum to provide a platform for the Hispanic community to connect with center-right policies and leaders. Newt Gingrich started The Americano, a bilingual news and commentary web site that promotes conservative ideals within the Hispanic community.

Hispanic/Latino Criticism of the Republican Party

The main divider between Hispanics and Republicans is the differing views and perceived harsh rhetoric on illegal immigration. 81% of Latinos believe that unauthorized immigrants should not be deported. Republicans encourage reforming the immigration system. They also support efforts to enforce the law (deporting illegal aliens) while welcoming immigrants who enter America through legal avenues.

Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. said, “If we become perceived as an anti-immigrant party, America, being a country of immigrants, will never allow us to be the majority party.”

Notable Hispanic/Latino Politicians

Democratic Party

• Joe Baca (U.S. Representative from California)
• Xavier Becerra (U.S. Representative from California, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Albert Bustamante (former U.S. Representative from Texas, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Cruz Bustamante (former Lieutenant Governor of California and Speaker of the California State Assembly)
• Linda Chavez-Thompson (former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, 2010 Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Texas)
• Gery Chico (chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education)
• Henry Cisneros (former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and mayor of San Antonio, TX; second Latino mayor of a U.S. city)
• Kika de la Garza (former U.S. Representative from Texas, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Jaime Fuster (1941-2007) (Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the U.S. Congress, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Robert García (former U.S. Representative from New York, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Edward D. Garza (former mayor of San Antonio, TX)
• Ron Gonzales (former mayor of San Jose, CA)
• Charlie Gonzalez (U.S. Representative from Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Raúl Grijalva (U.S. Representative from Arizona)
• Luis Gutiérrez (U.S. Representative from Illinois)
• Rubén Hinojosa (U.S. Representative from Texas)
• Matthew G. Martínez (former U.S. Representative from California, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; switched party affiliation to Republican after being defeated in 2000 primary)
• Bob Menendez (U.S. Senator and former U.S. Representative from New Jersey, former chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and House Democratic Caucus)
• Gloria Molina (chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
• Grace Napolitano (U.S. Representative from California, former chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Solomon P. Ortiz (former U.S. Representative from Texas, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Ed Pastor (U.S. Representative from Arizona, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Silvestre Reyes (U.S. Representative from Texas, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Bill Richardson (former Governor of New Mexico, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Secretary of Energy, former U.S. Representative and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Ciro Rodriguez (former U.S. Representative from Texas, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Edward R. Roybal (1916-2005) (U.S. Representative from California, founder and first chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, co-founder of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials)
• Lucille Roybal-Allard (U.S. Representative from California, former chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Ken Salazar (U.S. Secretary of the Interior, former U.S. Senator from Colorado, former Attorney General of Colorado)
• Linda Sánchez (U.S. Representative from California)
• Loretta Sánchez (U.S. Representative from California)
• José Enrique Serrano (U.S. Representative from New York, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Hilda Solis (U.S. Secretary of Labor, former U.S. Representative from California)
• Esteban Edward Torres (former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, former U.S. Representative from California, former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus)
• Nydia Velázquez (U.S. Representative from New York, former chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to Congress)
• Antonio Villaraigosa (Mayor of Los Angeles, former Speaker of the California State Assembly)

Republican Party

• Henry Bonilla (former U.S. Congressman from Texas)
• Francisco Canseco (U.S. Congressman from Texas)
• Lincoln Diaz-Balart (former U.S. Congressman from Florida)
• Mario Diaz-Balart (U.S. Congressman from Florida)
• Bill Flores (U.S. Congressman from Texas)
• Jaime Herrera (U.S. Congresswoman from Washington State)
• Raúl Labrador (U.S. Congressman from Idaho)
• Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo (first Hispanic U.S. Senator)
• Manuel Lujan, Jr. (former U.S. Congressman and Secretary of the Interior)
• Bob Martinez (former Florida Governor)
• Mel Martinez (former U.S. Senator HUD Secretary)
• Susana Martinez (Governor of New Mexico)
• Romualdo Pacheco (first Hispanic U.S. Congressman and California Governor)
• David Rivera (U.S. Congressman from Florida)
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (U.S. Congresswoman from Florida, first Latina in Congress)
• Marco Rubio (U.S. Senator from Florida)
• Brian Sandoval (Governor of Nevada)
• Steve Montenegro (Member of the Arizona House of Representatives since January 2003.)

See also

• List of Latino Republicans
• List of Latino Democrats

External links

• Politicos Latinos Website listing the USA's major Latino/Hispanic politicians