According to a study by the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), Hispanic citizens in California began registering in even higher numbers in the Democratic Party or as Independents, disassociating themselves increasingly with the Republican Party after the Republican Party took a decidedly anti-immigrant tone in Congress in 2007, precipitating protests among Hispanics throughout the county.
Among Hispanic voters who registered after the 2006 general election only 16% registered as Republicans,compared with 23% who registered as Republicans between 2002 and 2006. This compares with fully 34% of non-Latino voters who are Republicans. And among Hispanic voters who registered after 2006 56% were Democrats, compared with only 41% on non-Latinos who are registered Democrats.
The California Hispanic population is increasingly important as an electoral bloc. Thirty seven percent of the state's population is Hispanic. But fully 52% of the persons who registered to vote in California after 2006 were Hispanic. So if these trends continue, Republicans will lose a significant market share of overall voters, since non-Latinos show a preference for the Democratic Party as well. Although the NALEO report doesn't comment on it, the recent uproar in Arizona over enforcement of immigration law by local police is unlikely to have helped the GOP among Hispanics in California.
To read the NALEO study click here.
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