Data released on Thursday from UnidosUS (formerly knows as the National Council of La Raza) and Latino Decisions said that the U.S. Latino vote will continue to grow in 2020 and will play a decisive role in at least 23 of the most competitive House races next year.
Some of the findings the data noted by a UnidosUS media release said the the following:
- The best strategy to increase Latino voter turnout in presidential elections is to close the registration gap.
- Latinos will play a decisive role in at least 23 of the most competitive 2020 House races, building on similar impact in the 2018 midterms, when Latinos voted at near-presidential election levels.
- Polls show 87% of Hispanic voters believe racism against immigrants and Latinos is a problem, and cite the rise of white supremacy (74%) and President Trump’s language (69%) as factors bearing responsibility for the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
- In terms of issues, a mix of jobs and the economy, health care, immigration, gun violence, climate change, and education top the list of Latino priorities.
- Only 16% of Hispanic voters say they like the GOP of today, and among Latinos who have supported Republican candidates in the past, more than half have a hard time supporting the GOP today.
“Latino voter concerns are expanding. In addition to bread-and-basket issues like jobs, health care and education, and intense concerns about anti-Latino and anti-immigrant policies and racism, for the first time gun violence and climate change round the top priorities for this community,” Latino Decisions’ Sylvia Manzano said in the release.
“For anyone who cares about these issues, the growth of the Latino electorate should be a welcome development, and we will see Latinos come out in record numbers in 2020,” UnidosUS Deputy Vice President for Policy and Advocacy Clarissa Martinez de Castro said in the release. “To the parties and candidates, the message is clear: Candidates matter, issues matter, and meaningful outreach is essential to gain the support of and energize this electorate.”
The data was released the same day UnidosUS announced the creating of a new civic engagement tool to register more Latino voters in 2020 and increase awareness about issues.
“To fight the greatest political challenge in our community’s recent history, today we are launching UnidosUS’s biggest initiative to date, aimed at strengthening the power and influence of the Hispanic community in the 2020 election. Through this multimillion-dollar campaign, ¡Adelante!: Moving Us Forward, we will not only multiply the number of Latino voters we register but we will also grow the Latino presence and voice in, among other issues, the presidential campaign, state and local races, and the 2020 Census,” UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía said in the release.
For the 2020 election, UnidosUS said it plans to register 120,000 new Latino voters and “reach more than 350,000 voters with GOTV activities, and lift up the community’s priorities through local programs and events, polling, and advocacy,” the release noted.
