The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) recently reported that there has been an 18 percent increase in the number of registered Latino voters since the 2010 midterm elections, bringing the total to 7.8 million. This growing electorate and an increase in the number of Latino candidates running in this year’s national elections will have an undeniable impact on the political landscape of our country according to NALEO.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of NALEO noted that, “there are Latinos running for state House seats, state Senate seats, or congressional seats in 42 of the 50 U.S. States.” Vargas continued, “Latinos have defined themselves now as a national electorate, and national candidate population.”
The group acknowledges that there are a number of factors that can affect Latino voter turnout during this election, such as the president’s delayed executive action on immigration and the Supreme Court decision that overturned section 5 of the Voting Right Act in 2013. Yet NALEO maintains that Latino voters are still poised to make a difference given the hotly contested nature of many races despite their frustration. Furthermore, the record number of Latino candidates running for office will result in crucial political visibility for the Latino community.
Founder of the Wise Latina Group, Dr. Viviana Hurtado said, “Immigration – make no mistake – is a gateway issue for Latino voters. But it is not the number one issue as we’re a very diverse voting block from all different backgrounds, educational levels, geographical backgrounds, but it is an issue that is critical when talking about policies in jobs and on the economy.”
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