Leading National Latino Civic Participation Groups Provide Analysis of 2022 Latino Vote
Recording from the event are HERE and HERE
Washington D.C. – The Latino vote was definitive last night in critical races across the country, up and down the ballot. The National Latino Civic Engagement Table, a grouping of the leading national Latino civic engagement organizations, held a press call to unpack the Latino vote, to dig into how our community made a difference, and explain how our organizations engaged the Hispanic electorate.
Héctor Sánchez Barba, Executive Director and CEO, Mi Familia Vota (MFV) said:
Mi Familia Vota is committed to building Latino political power; all cycles we have invested in turning out Latino voters. We know our community would be an important backstop against MAGA politicians threatening our democracy. Last night we delivered 2,514,434 door, phone, and text attempts,349,335 door attempts, 825,694 text messages 1,339,405 phone calls to turn out our community against extremist politicians who sought to silence our voice at the ballot box. We are still waiting for some races to be called, but we are on track to have historic Latino representation in Congress. We are confident that our contributions were felt in the voting booth all over the country. We are building long-term political power to hold all politicians accountable to the policy priorities of the Latino community.
Clarissa Martinez De Castro, Vice President, UnidosUS Latino Vote Initiative said:
“Hispanic voters affirmed their critical role in shaping the country’s political landscape, and are sending a wake-up call to both parties. While polling shows a majority of Latinos see their values more aligned with Democratic positions, inflation and traditional midterm headwinds, and uneven or late outreach by Democrats, allowed Republicans to gain some ground. That said, Hispanic voters nationally largely reflected their historical pattern of two thirds supporting Democrats, and one third Republicans. Democrats have ample room to solidify and expand Hispanic support, but need to engage these voters more deeply, earlier, and strengthen their economic message. For Republicans, in addition to ongoing outreach, to sustain or increase support with this electorate they need to remember that their platform is radically out of step with these voters’ priorities in most areas – including abortion, gun violence, health care, and immigration. UnidosUS is committed to continue its work to grow the political voice of this community of voters, who generally reject extremes and taking rights away from people, and can be a stabilizing force in our politics.”
Kenny Sandoval, Vice President of campaigns and partnerships, Voto Latino said:
These election results should put to rest the narrative that Republicans have made inroads into Latino communities. It’s clear that Latinos remain one of the most important voting blocs in the Democratic coalition–and they deserve to be treated as such. Any successful 2024 strategy will include sustained, authentic investment in the Latino community, and the time to start that is now.
Thomas A Saenz, President and General Counsel, MALDEF, said: “Latino voters make the difference. This marks at least the fourth consecutive midterm election in which the expected narrative has changed . . . because of Latino voters. This great progress came in the face of unprecedented threats to democracy – attempts to deter and prevent participation, particularly by the ever-growing Latino voter community. These efforts will not work; political advisers and their clients must update their playbook to move Latinos to the center of the game.”
Yvonne Gutierrez, Managing Director of Latino Victory, said: “Latino voters turning out for Democrats and fizzling out the “red wave” proves once again that Latinos are a powerful force in the Democratic coalition. If we learn one thing from the amount of support Latino voters gave to Democrats in key races, it’s that the Latino vote can never be taken for granted again. We need to set the record straight once and for all that Latinos are the second-largest voting bloc in the country and consequential to our political process, especially for Democrats. With the 2024 presidential election on the horizon, the time is ripe for Democrats to start the engagement and investment in Latinos in battleground states and states with consequential races. Latino voters are delivering for Democrats and are instrumental in key victories—it’s time to deliver for Latino voters with significant investments in engaging the community.”
Frankie Miranda, President & CEO, Hispanic Federation said “Election Day has once again exemplified how the Latino community is not a monolith, but a mosaic of different cultures, ideas, and identities. Latinos are not squarely blue or red, they are driven to the ballot box by a variety of issues that affect Americans from all walks of life. It’s time for elected leaders to wake up and realize that mobilizing the fastest growing voter bloc requires time, effort, and a clear plan of action to support Latino families and the community at large. Our work is far from over, and we can’t do it alone. We urge the philanthropic community to double down on support for year-round Latino voter engagement.