Categories
  Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
  supported by EncyclosphereKSF

Hispanic and Latino conservatism in the United States

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 25 min

Republican politician Marco Rubio, 72nd United States Secretary of State, is the highest-ranking Hispanic official in U.S. history.[1]

Hispanic and Latino Americans make up an increasing share of the United States (U.S.) electorate. While most Latinos identify as Democrats and most Latino elected officials are members of the Democratic Party, there has been an increase in Republican party identification among Latinos and increased numbers of elected Latino Republicans over time.[2][3]

Scholars note that Latinos and Hispanics are not a monolithic group.[2][4][5] Factors such as age, location, income, sex, religion, ethnicity, education, and immigration status can all significantly influence voting factors among Hispanics and Latinos.[6] Historically, Cuban Americans in South Florida have been the most prominent Latino Republicans.[2] Since the 1960s, the majority of Latino Republican candidates for office have been Cuban Americans.[2] Over time, Latino Republicans have become more diverse, no longer being primarily confined to Cuban Americans.[2]

History

[edit]

The U.S. Census indicates that the Hispanic and Latino population of the U.S. is the fastest growing minority group in the country.[7] More than 12.8% of eligible voters nationwide are Hispanic or Latino.[8]

20th century

[edit]

Prior to the 1950s, Hispanic political affiliation swayed back and forth between the two major parties. From the American Civil War to the Great Depression, the majority of American Hispanics, as well as the majority of African Americans, were Republicans. However, following the Great Depression, more Hispanics began to side with the Democratic party due to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal agenda. Many Hispanics were distrustful of Herbert Hoover and the Republican party, whom they viewed as responsible for the economic crash.[9]

American Hispanics first began to widely support a Republican candidate, Dwight D. Eisenhower, during the 1952 U.S. presidential election. Hispanic World War II veterans were drawn to support Eisenhower due to his service in the war, as well as the belief that he would be able to end the Korean war. Other non-veteran Hispanic voters were drawn to Eisenhower due to his promotion of hard work, freedom, prosperity, and religious spirituality. Hispanic conservatives created groups such as "Latinos con Eisenhower" and pinned political buttons on their shirts stating "Me Gusta Ike".[10]

In 1980, Republican Ben Fernandez became the first Hispanic ever to run for President of the United States.[11] Over the next decade, Ronald Reagan viewed Hispanic and Latino social values as closely related to conservative values, as both tended to place an emphasis on religious faith, family, and hard work. Additionally, both groups tended to maintain a strong opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. Reagan often stated that "Hispanics are conservative. They just don’t know it.”[12]

A record 29 million Hispanics and Latinos were eligible to vote in the 2018 midterm elections, accounting for 12.8% of all eligible voters, a new high. They made up an estimated 11% of all voters nationwide on Election Day, nearly matching their share of the U.S. eligible voter population (U.S. citizens ages 18 and older).[13]

21st century

[edit]

In the 2018 midterm elections, three out of four Hispanic and Latino voters supported a Democratic candidate.[14] However, Republicans are often supported Cuban-American and Venezuelan-American voters,[15] as well as among Latino voters in Florida and Texas.[14] Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadoran Americans, Guatemalan Americans, and Dominican Americans tend to support the Democratic Party. As the latter groups are far more numerous (Mexican-Americans make up 64% of the Latino population in the United States),[16] the Democratic Party typically receives the majority of the Latino vote.

Although Latinos, as a whole, tend to support Democratic candidates, the Democratic Party has lost ground among their voting population since its high-water mark in 2012.[17]

In 2004, according to research by the Thomás Rivera Policy Institute, 58% of Hispanic and Latino voters self-identified as Democrats, while 22% identified as Republicans and 19% as Independents.[18]

In 2006, 69% of Latino voters supported Democratic candidates in congressional races, while 30% supported Republican candidates.

In 2008, 67% of Latinos voted for then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, while 31% of Hispanics voted for then-Republican presidential nominee John McCain.[19]

During the 2010 midterm elections, 31% of eligible Hispanic and Latino voters turned out to vote.[20] 60% of Latinos supported Democratic candidates, while 38% of Latinos supported Republican candidates.[21]

A 2012 study by the Center for Immigration Studies projected that, in November 2012, Hispanics and Latinos would comprise 17.2% of the total U.S. population, 15% of adults, 11.2% of adult citizens, and 8.9% of voters. By comparison, the report found that, in 2012, non-Hispanic whites were expected to be 73.4% of the national vote and non-Hispanic blacks were expected to be 12.2%. The report noted that, by weight, "eight percentage points of the Hispanic vote nationally equals slightly less than one percentage point of the non-Hispanic white vote". The study also compared the 8.9% Latino share of voters to veterans (12% of the electorate), those with family incomes above $100,000 (18%), seniors 65 and older (19%), married persons (60%), and those who live in owner-occupied housing (80%).[22]

In terms of voter turnout, the Center for Studies projected that 52.7% (±0.6) of eligible Latinos would vote in the 2012 election, an increase from 49.9% in 2008 and a continuation of the past decade's long upward trend. The projected Latino voter participation rate was 52.7%, compared to 66.1% for non-Hispanic whites and 65.2% for non-Hispanic blacks in 2008.[22]

In 2012, 70% of Hispanic and Latino voters identified with, or leaned toward, the Democratic Party, while 20% of Hispanic voters identified with, or leaned toward, the Republican Party.[23]

In 2014, out of the 25 million eligible Hispanic voters, 27%, or 6.8 million, cast ballots ballots.[24]

During the 2016 presidential election, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was supported by 57% of Cuban-American voters in Florida, while Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton received 40% of such vote[whose?].[25]

In 2018, 29.1 million Hispanics and Latinos were eligible to vote. 62% of Hispanic and Latino voters identified with, or leaned toward, the Democratic Party, whereas 27% of Hispanic voters identified with, or leaned toward, the Republican Party. Hispanic voters who primarily spoke English were more likely to support Republican candidates (33%), compared to voters who only spoke Spanish (15%).[26] In Florida, 66% of Cuban Americans supported Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis, while only 33% supported Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum, a 2 to 1 ratio for Republicans.[25]

According to a 2019 Gallup Poll, 29% of Hispanics and Latinos identified as conservative, and that same number, 29%, voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election.[27]

In the 2022 U.S. House Elections, 39% of Hispanic voters backed Republican candidates and 60% backed Democratic candidates.[28] This marks a decline for Democrats from the 2020 election, where Biden won roughly 65% of Hispanic voters to Trump's 33%.

Elections

[edit]
Hispanic voters in Presidential elections
Presidential Elections Republican Democrat Ref.
1976 24% 74% [29]
1980 37% 56% [30]
1984 34% 66% [31]
1988 30% 69% [32]
1992 25% 61% [33]
1996 21% 72% [34]
2000 35% 62% [35]
2004 44% 54% [36]
2008 31% 67% [37]
2012 27% 71%
2016 29% 65% [38]
2020 33% 65% [39]
2024 46% 52% [40]

Key issues

[edit]

In an October 2010 Pew Hispanic Center report, Hispanics ranked education, jobs, and health care as their top three issues of concern, while immigration ranked as the fourth most important issue.[41]

In 2020, the economy, health care, and the COVID-19 pandemic were reported to be the top three most important issues for Hispanic voters.[42]

Economy

[edit]

In 2022, economic issues remain the primary concern for Hispanic voters. In a Wall Street Journal poll, Hispanic men stated that Republicans possessed better economic policy, by a margin of 17 points, while Hispanic women stated that Democrats had better economic policy, by a 10-point margin.[43]

Gun Control

[edit]

According to a 2022 Pew Research Center poll, 54% of Hispanic Republicans and conservative-leaning independents find it more important to protect gun ownership rights than to control gun ownership. In comparison, 83% of non-Hispanic Republicans hold the same belief.[44]

Gender-neutral terminology

[edit]

The use of the gender-neutral term "Latinx" is highly unpopular among Hispanic and Latino voters, with over 90% disliking the term.[45] The term has been used by prominent Democratic politicians such as Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; who have been widely mocked by many Republicans, Hispanics, and Latinos for its use.[46][47][48][49]

A 2021 poll found that 30% of Hispanic voters are less likely to vote for a politician who uses the term "Latinx". 68% of Hispanic voters prefer the term "Hispanic", while 21% of voters prefer the term "Latino". By comparison, only 2% of Hispanic voters embrace the term "Latinx". Furthermore, 40% of American Hispanics state that the term "Latinx" bothers or offends them.[50][51]

Immigration

[edit]

Hispanic voters who are immigrants or the children of immigrants are more likely to vote for the Democratic Party, while Hispanic voters whose ancestors have lived in the United States for multiple generations are more likely to be split or vote for the Republican Party.[4][5]

The Hispanic vote is sometimes associated with immigration issues such as immigration reform, immigration enforcement, and amnesty for undocumented immigrants. However, immigration could be an issue no more important than unemployment or the economy for many Hispanic-American citizens.[52]

Timeline of events

[edit]
Susana Martinez
Marco Rubio
Ted Cruz
Brian Sandoval
Alberto Gonzales
Carlos Gutierrez
Mel Martínez
Maria Salazar
Carlos Gimenez
Mike Garcia
Romualdo Pacheco
Octaviano Larrazolo

This is a timeline of significant events in Spanish, Hispanic and Latino history that have shaped the conservative movement in the United States.

1860s
1870s
1880s
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s

Politicians

[edit]

Alaska

[edit]

Arizona

[edit]

Arkansas

[edit]

California

[edit]

Colorado

[edit]

Connecticut

[edit]

Delaware

[edit]

Florida

[edit]

Georgia

[edit]

Hawaii

[edit]

Illinois

[edit]

Indiana

[edit]

Iowa

[edit]

Kansas

[edit]

Kentucky

[edit]

Louisiana

[edit]

Maryland

[edit]

Massachusetts

[edit]

Michigan

[edit]

Minnesota

[edit]

Mississippi

[edit]
  • Shane Aguirre – Mississippi State representative (2016–present)

Missouri

[edit]

Nebraska

[edit]

Nevada

[edit]

New Hampshire

[edit]

New Jersey

[edit]

New Mexico

[edit]

New York

[edit]

North Carolina

[edit]

Ohio

[edit]

Oklahoma

[edit]

Oregon

[edit]

Rhode Island

[edit]

South Carolina

[edit]

Tennessee

[edit]

Texas

[edit]

Utah

[edit]

Virginia

[edit]

Washington

[edit]

West Virginia

[edit]

Wisconsin

[edit]

Wyoming

[edit]

Judges

[edit]

Athletes and entertainers

[edit]

Law

[edit]

Science

[edit]

Columnists, authors and journalists

[edit]

Education and Business

[edit]

Activists

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
  • Cadava, Geraldo. (2020). The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of an American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump. Ecco Press. ISBN 978-0062946348
  • Flavio R Hickel, Jr., Rudy Alamillo, Kassra A R Oskooii, Loren Collingwood. (2021). "The Role of Identity Prioritization: Why Some Latinx Support Restrictionist Immigration Policies and Candidates." Public Opinion Quarterly.
  • Jacoby, Tamar. (2012). "How Romney could win over Latinos." Los Angeles Times.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Harrison, Chase (January 24, 2025). "The Rubio Recap: What He Said about Latin America at His Hearing". AS/COA.
  2. ^ a b c d e Alvarez, Robert D.; Casellas, Jason P. (2025). "Shifting Allegiances: The Election of Latino Republicans to Congress and State Legislatures". Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781009533096. ISBN 978-1-009-53309-6.
  3. ^ Fraga, Bernard L.; Velez, Yamil R.; West, Emily A. (2025). "Reversion to the Mean, or Their Version of the Dream? Latino Voting in an Age of Populism". American Political Science Review. 119 (1): 517–525. doi:10.1017/S0003055424000406. ISSN 0003-0554.
  4. ^ a b Rakich, Nathaniel; Thomson-DeVeaux, Amelia (September 22, 2022). "There's No Such Thing As The 'Latino Vote'". FiveThirtyEight.
  5. ^ a b Cadava, Geraldo L. (February 14, 2022). "There's No Such Thing as 'the Latino Vote'". The Atlantic.
  6. ^ Hugo Lopez, Mark; Noe-Bustamante, Luis (September 25, 2024). "In Tight U.S. Presidential Race, Latino Voters' Preferences Mirror 2020". Pew Research Center.
  7. ^ "US Census Press Releases". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  9. ^ Cadava, Geraldo (2020). The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of an American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump. Ecco Press. p. 7.
  10. ^ Cadava, pp. 5-6
  11. ^ Cable, Robert (May 15, 2020). "The Hispanic Republican". Stanford Humanities Center.
  12. ^ Aguilar, Alfonso (May 5, 2010). "On Latinos, listen to the Gipper". Politico.
  13. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Latinos and the political parties". Pew Research. October 11, 2016.
  15. ^ "The Cuban Paradox". Harvard University.
  16. ^ "Detailed Hispanic Origin: 2006" (PDF). Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  17. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  18. ^ de la Garza, Rodolfo O.; Cortina, Jeronimo (March 2007). "Are Hispanic and Latino Republicans But Just Don't Know It?: The Hispanic and Latino Vote in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections". American Politics Research. 35 (2): 202–223. doi:10.1177/1532673X06294885. ISSN 1532-673X. S2CID 154127676.
  19. ^ Lopez, Mark Hung (November 5, 2008). "The Hispanic Vote in the 2008 Election". Pew Hispanic Center. Pew Research Center.
  20. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  21. ^ Lopez, Mark Hugo (November 3, 2010). "The Hispanic and Latino Vote in the 2010 Elections". Pew Hispanic Center. Pew Research Center.
  22. ^ a b Steven A. Camarota and Karen Zeigler, "Projecting the 2012 Hispanic Vote," Center for Immigration Studies, August 2012. Available at: http://cis.org/projecting-2012-hispanic-vote-nationally-battleground-states
  23. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  24. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Republicans won the Florida Election but the Cuban-American Voters are Beginning to Vote Democrat". www.necn.com/news. NECN. November 27, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  26. ^ "Hispanic voters and the 2018 midterm elections". Pew Research. October 25, 2018.
  27. ^ Parker, Star (March 13, 2019). "Can Republicans Get Elected in Nonwhite America?". GOPUSA. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  28. ^ "Exit polls for Midterm Election Results 2022". CNN. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  29. ^ CBS News/New York Times interviews with 12,782 voters as they left the polls, as reported in The New York Times, November 9, 1980, p. 28, and in further analysis. The 1976 data are from CBS News interviews.
  30. ^ "How Groups Voted in 1980". ropercenter.cornell.edu. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  31. ^ "How Groups Voted in 1984". ropercenter.cornell.edu. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  32. ^ "How Groups Voted in 1988". ropercenter.cornell.edu. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  33. ^ Voter News Service exit poll, reported in The New York Times, November 10, 1996, 28.
  34. ^ "1996 Presidential Exit Polls Results". CNN.
  35. ^ "How Groups Voted in 2000". ropercenter.cornell.edu. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  36. ^ "CNN.com Election 2004". CNN. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  37. ^ "National Exit Poll". CNN. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  38. ^ "Exit polls". CNN. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  39. ^ Andre, Michael; et al. (November 3, 2020). "National Exit Polls: How Different Groups Voted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  40. ^ "Election 2024: Exit polls". CNN. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  41. ^ Statistics were obtained from CNN’s Election 2010 website and are based on the Edison Research’s national and state exit poll surveys of voters as reported on December 30, 2010.
  42. ^ Krogstad, Jens Manuel; Lopez, Mark Hugo (September 11, 2020). "Hispanic voters say economy, health care and COVID-19 are top issues in 2020 presidential election". Pew Research.
  43. ^ Zitner, Aaron (December 8, 2021). "Hispanic Voters Now Evenly Split Between Parties, WSJ Poll Finds". The Wall Street Journal.
  44. ^ Krogstad, Jens Manuel (November 7, 2022). "Latino Republicans hold distinct views on guns and immigration, highlighting their shaky ties to GOP". Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  45. ^ Tallet, Olivia P. (January 26, 2021). "Over 90% of Hispanics and Latinos don't like to be called Latinx". Houston Chronicle.
  46. ^ Keene, Houston (June 25, 2021). "Biden criticized for using woke term 'Latinx' in comments about 'equity' in COVID-19 vaccinations". Fox News.
  47. ^ Lee, Michael (June 6, 2022). "AOC accuses people of creating drama over the word 'Latinx' despite overwhelming opposition to the term". Fox News.
  48. ^ Nuño-Pérez, Stephen; Aviles, Gwen (March 7, 2019). "Is 'Latinx' elitist? Some push back at the word's growing use". NBC News.
  49. ^ Hochman, Nate (December 6, 2021). "Politico Poll: 40 Percent of Hispanics Find 'Latinx' Offensive". National Review.
  50. ^ Sesin, Carmen (December 6, 2021). "'Latinx' can be 'counterproductive' among Hispanic voters, poll finds". NBC News.
  51. ^ Torregrosa, Luisita Lopez (December 14, 2021). "Many Latinos say 'Latinx' offends or bothers them. Here's why". NBC News.
  52. ^ Gutierrez, Jessica Marie (March 12, 2012). "Is Respect A Major Issue for Latinos: Election 2012 Coverage on the Hispanic Vote".
  53. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Fred Aguiar".
  54. ^ "Carlos Gonzalez (New Hampshire)".
  55. ^ "Larry Gonzales".
  56. ^ a b c d e Moreno, Carolina (August 27, 2012). "LOOK: Are These Latino Celebs Republicans?". Huffington Post.
  57. ^ Moreno, Carolina (August 27, 2012). "LOOK: Are These Latino Celebs Republicans?". Huffington Post.
  58. ^ "CESAR ROMERO, actor, singer, dancer, film, radio and TV personality. (Cuban descendant) ** Cesar Romero, actor, cantante, bailarín, personalidad de la radio, cine y TV. (Descendencia cubana) | the History, Culture and Legacy of the People of Cuba".
  59. ^ "Republican Nominee Bush Works Hard for Latino Vote". ABC News. January 6, 2006.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic_and_Latino_conservatism_in_the_United_States
1 |
↧ Download as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF