See the results here.
A recording of the press call can be found here.
Earlier today, allied organizations across the progressive movement examined new polling of Latinos across various competitive elections to analyze how that electorate engaged in 2018, how they’re shaping the future of campaigns, and what it might mean for 2020.
The poll focuses on six states with competitive elections (CA, FL, GA, TX, NV, and AZ), a national survey of House battleground districts, and a national survey of Native American voters. The poll is based on randomly selected voters across the entire state, or congressional district, giving all voters an equal chance to participate. This election eve poll, which more accurately captures voters of color than exit polls, will demonstrate how latino voters shaped the outcome of the 2018 election.
The following are statements from partner organizations regarding the Latino Polling Briefing.
Matt Barreto, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Latino Decisions said, “We recorded very high levels of anger in the Latino electorate and that is translating into engagement. The data is quite clear, Latino anger towards the Trump administration is at an all-time high. Latino voters in particular are taking things into their own hands, reporting high rates of “self-mobilization” and encouraging their friends and family to vote. Rather than waiting on campaigns to knock on their doors, many immigrant and minority voters are seizing the moment and mobilizing themselves, their families, and their communities. The headline of the 2018 election will be that a majority of voters do not buy racist attacks on immigrants. Instead, anti-immigrant fear mongering has backfired on Republicans and cost them the House of Representatives.”
Ben Monterroso, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota said, “Through our votes, we rewarded those who worked with us and punished those who did not. We accomplished what we set out to do, and more. For the last two years, Congress refused to hold the president accountable for his insults and policies against our community. Those in control did nothing while the president called us rapists and murderers, or after he abandoned Dreamers, or when he separated children from their parents at the border. But Trump’s free ride ended last night when voters took control of the House away from his anti-immigrant followers.”
Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS noted, “The Latino community is fully aware that it has been unfairly targeted by this administration, and responded by participating in the midterm elections at unprecedented levels. They rejected the politics of division as did many of their fellow Americans, who delivered a resounding defeat to the Latino community’s long-time ‘axis of evil’—anti-immigrant candidates Lou Barletta in Pennsylvania, Corey Stewart in Virginia, and Kris Kobach in deep-red Kansas. And Latinos didn’t just vote against hate and divisiveness, they also voted for candidates that more truly represent the American mosaic and will give new life to issues like protecting the ACA, expanding voting rights, and ending inhumane immigration policies. This election was also a victory for UnidosUS’s electoral mantra: candidates matter, issues matter, and meaningful outreach is non-negotiable. Even though Beto O’Rourke lost, he was the first candidate in more than two decades to make Democrats competitive in a statewide race in Texas. He did so by embracing an optimistic message, a progressive agenda in line with Texas’s diverse population, and by energizing voters who had been ignored in previous elections. Candidates on both sides of the aisle should take note.”
“This election was a sharp rebuke to the politics of division and hate,” said Rocio Saenz, Executive Vice President, SEIU. “Working people across America – Black, white and brown – voted for leaders who will raise our wages, expand our ability to stand together in unions and afford quality healthcare. This poll clearly showed that politicians gain nothing by attacking one group of Americans to try and score points with another. Those games don’t work and should be retired to the dustbin of history.”
“Last night’s results were a direct repudiation of the Trump administration’s closing argument. Voters turned away from Trump’s divisive rhetoric and voted for candidates that exemplify the change most Americans want for our country,” said María Urbina, MaPolitical Director, Indivisible Project. “The Latino vote was vital in key races, from Nevada to California to Kansas, and Latinos turned out at historic levels. After two years of instilling fear and fomenting racism, the Trump administration now has to answer to the communities that he has targeted. The wins we saw last night, in taking the House and flipping at least seven Governorships, wouldn’t have been possible without Latino voters. As we start to look ahead to 2020, it’s clear that continued investment in Latino outreach is key for longterm progressive gains.”
