Latinos Are Riled, Restless and Ready by Arturo Vargas Posted August 5, 2010 | 04:20 PM (EST)
August in the nation's capital is usually a languid time to recharge during a congressional recess in anticipation of the hurly burly after Labor Day. But there is nothing slow about the dog days of summer this year, what with an important midterm congressional election just around the corner.
People are paying attention to the elections much earlier than in the past, including the growing bloc of Latino voters.
The NALEO Educational Fund recently conducted a survey of 1600 Latino registered voters, 400 each in the four states with open or
competitive gubernatorial or senatorial contests this November -- California, Colorado, Florida and Texas. With three out of five potential Latino voters residing in these four states, this survey offers the most current insight into Latino voter opinions nationwide.
One major finding: an overwhelming majority (61%) of Latino registered voters across the board say they will "definitely" vote in the November midterm elections, this despite the historically low voter participation in "off year" elections.
In California, with 62% of Latinos saying they will "definitely" vote in November, former Democratic Governor Jerry Brown was ahead of his Republican rival Meg Whitman in the gubernatorial race (49%-15%), but significantly, less than half of Latino voters say they support him. In outreach to Latino voters, 20% say Jerry Brown is making an effort, compared to 10% who say the same thing about Whitman.
Since the primary and this poll, Whitman has invested an extraordinary amount in Spanish-language media and recent polls suggest she is now pulling even with Brown.
For the Senate seat, incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer is heavily favored among Latino voters, with 61% saying they prefer Boxer over her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina (16%). Additionally, 25% of Latinos say Senator Boxer is making an effort to reach out to Latino voters, compared to just 13% who feel that way about Fiorina.
In Colorado, which holds its primary next week, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper enjoys a considerable lead over former Congressman Scott McInnis in the gubernatorial race. If the election were held today, 59% say they would vote for Mayor Hickenlooper, versus 19% for Representative McInnnis. Twelve percent say they are undecided.
Among Latino voters, the two Democratic candidates vying for the U.S. Senate are in a close race. Thirty-eight percent say they would vote for incumbent Senator Michael Bennet, with 31% saying they prefer former Speaker Andrew Romanoff. Just 8% of Latino voters surveyed said they would vote for either Republican candidate -- Ken Buck or Tom Wiens.
Nonetheless, few Latino voters in Colorado consider that the candidates -- regardless of office or party affiliation -- are reaching out to Latino voters. Less than a third (28%) say Mayor Hickenlooper is making an effort to reach out to Latino voters. Twenty percent feel that way about former Speaker Romanoff, 19% for Senator Bennet, and just 11% for former Congressman McInnis. Overall, 20% offer that none of the candidates are making an effort to reach out.
The NALEO Educational Fund survey finds the Senate race in Florida a complete tossup among Latino voters. It is literally a dead heat, with an equal number of Latino voters (35%) saying they support either Governor Charlie Crist -- running as an Independent -- or Republican contender Marco Rubio, a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Just 17% say they favor Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek for the upper chamber, and only 5% say they are undecided.
More than a third of Latinos surveyed considered that both Rubio and Crist are making an effort to reach out to Latino voters, while less than 10% said the same thing about Meek.
In the race for governor of the Sunshine State, 20% say they are undecided in a race against Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Bill McCollum. Sink does, however, enjoy greater support among Latino voters compared to McCollum (35%-17%), a number that will likely increase should she decide to pick a Latino as a running mate; former Miami Mayor Manny Díaz figures prominently in the unofficial Florida political chatter to join her on the ticket.
In examining the Texas gubernatorial race, Governor Rick Perry is running for an unprecedented third term, but just 23% of Latino voters support him, compared to his Democratic rival, former Houston Mayor Bill White (61%). Nearly 59% of Texas Latino voters say they will "definitely" vote this November.
Latino voters are riled, restless and ready for November and clearly will prove to be pivotal in statewide races come Election Day.
The national Latino organizations have been in conversation about the design of census forms
and census questions since the end of the last tabulation ten years ago. Both Clarissa Martinez
of La Raza and Gloria Montano Greene of NALEO say they are generally pleased with the
choices and the format allowing Latinos to self-identify on the form. We've come a long way
since tabulators walking door to door with a canvas bag and writing materials made
hand-written records based on personal observations of things like race. Now it is up to
the individual to assign an identity to himself or herself.
Illegal Immigrants Reluctant To Fill Out Census Form
by Peter O'Dowd NPR
There is an effort underway to make sure Hispanics are accurately counted in the 2010 Census. Phoenix has some of the country's ''hardest-to-count'' districts. Some Latinos, especially illegal residents, fear that participating in the count will expose them to immigration raids or government harassment.
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
(NALEO) Educational Fund participated in the march for immigration reform and issued the
following statement regarding the importance of participating in the 2010 Census: “We are
here, we are not leaving, and we need to be counted,” NALEO Educational Fund Executive
Director Arturo Vargas told the tens of thousands gathered at the March for America on the
National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Summit Stresses 2010 Census Participation March 17, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC– Elected officials, community leaders, and Latino organizations today met
at the U.S. Capitol to stress the importance of participating in the 2010 Census, and the policy implications of being left uncounted. The Latino 2010 Census Summit was held as 120 million
U.S. households nationwide receive the Census form this week.
Phoenix, Arizona — The NALEO Education Leadership Initiative (NELI) Institute on School
Governance examined models in which Boards of Education and local education agencies
have developed innovative strategies to serve Latino students, particularly Englishl language learners. School board colleagues from across the nation convened to cultivate a purposeful, vertically integrated model of leadership that begins at the school board level, while fostering
student success in the classroom.
Los Angeles, California — U.S. Census Director Robert Groves, members of Congress Judy Chu, Grace Napolitano, and Lucille Roybal-Allard, Los Angeles School Board Vice President
Yolie Flores, and the ya es hora ¡HAGASE CONTAR!Census Coalition (It’s Time, Make
Yourself Count!) today visited Garza Primary Center in Los Angeles. The event marked the
national kick off of efforts by Latino organization, the U.S. Census Bureau, school districts, early childhood education providers, among others, to promote a full tally of one of the hardest-to-count populations, Latino children.
NALEO addresses the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform February 24, 2010
Washington, DC — On Wednesday, February 24th the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform held a hearing on the 2010 Census communications contract and the
media plan in hard-to-count areas. Download NALEO's congressional testimony or tune in
to the archived webcast.
