A new poll from a Republican pollster said that Democrats’ advantage with Latino voters has fallen to its lowest level since 1994.
WPA Intelligence has worked for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin when he pulled off his shocker victory last year. The firm found that 54 per cent of Latinos planned to vote for Democrats compared to 33 per cent for Republicans, nearly half the margin Democrats had in 2018 during the Blue Wave.
The number is Democrats’ lowest advantage since 1994, when the Republican Revolution led by Newt Gingrich swept the GOP into majorities in the House and Senate as well as local offices.
“Republicans are on track to maintain their 2020 gains with Hispanic voters, who are clearly frustrated with an economy they see as leaving them behind,” partner Byron Allen told Newsweek.
Former president Donald Trump shocked many political observers when he improved his margins with Latino voters in the 2020 presidential election, particularly in places like Miami and in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Now, Republicans hope that Latino voters will help them win seats in formerly Democratic strongholds. Republicans are running three Latina House candidates in the Rio Grande Valley – Monica De La Cruz in Texas’s 15 District, Cassy Garcia in Texas’s 23rd District and incumbent Representative Mayra Flores in Texas’s 34th District.
They also hope that Latino voters will make the difference for them in Nevada’s Senate race as Adam Laxalt hopes to beat Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, the only Latina Senator, as well as in Arizona as Kari Lake runs for governor against Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Blake Masters challenges Senator Mark Kelly.
“Improving upon 2020 won't be easy,” Mr Allen said, “with nearly 40 per cent of Hispanics living in California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. But as this poll shows, the GOP can improve, especially with Spanish-dominant Latinos.”
WPA Intelligence worked with Visto Media to conduct a poll of 1,288 registered Latino voters, 1,086 of whom were likely voters.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) also conducted a poll showing Democrats had only a 25-point advantage.
“Five weeks into our tracking poll, it's becoming clear that Republicans have gained significant ground with Latino voters since the last midterm cycle,” Arturo Vargas, the organisation’s chief executive, told Newsweek. “Latino voters are perceiving Republicans as less hostile towards them compared to 2018, and Republican outreach to Latino voters is at its highest level in our five weeks of polling.”
