Why South Texas Latinos Vote Republican

 

(This story was original published on November 11, 2014, on the Latino news web site Voxxi.)

 

THE LATINO VOTE ONCE considered a lock in the Democratic coalition and crucial to the party’s prospects in 2016 and beyond is showing signs of possibly slipping away.

 

While it may be prematue to call it an exodus to the Republican Party, Hispanic voters helped the GOP gain ground in some decisive races in which the mid-term elections hinted at a shift in Latino voting patterns.

 

Overall, Latinos voted for Democrats by a two-to-one margin, according to exit polling and other election returns, but in surprising states the Democratic Party’s reliance on past Hispanic voting trends proved to be a bust.

 

In Texas, Republican governor-elect Gregg Abbott carried 44 percent of the Latino vote, beating the mark set by George W. Bush in his campaigns there, that made for an even greater 20 percent rout of Wendy Davis – and even carrying some counties in heavily Hispanic South Texas.