WASHINGTON, DC—The Hispanic community is expected to become the largest minority group of voting-age citizens by 2020, becoming an increasingly important demographic for the outcome of the election.
Today, UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza)—the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization—is launching its biggest civic engagement initiative to date aimed at strengthening the power and influence of the Hispanic community. UnidosUS will leverage the full power of its programs on the ground, policy advocacy at the state and federal levels, and joint efforts with its nearly 300 affiliated organizations to advance the priorities of the community in the areas of the economy, health, education, and immigration.
“To fight the greatest political challenge in our community’s recent history, today we are launching UnidosUS’s biggest initiative to date, aimed at strengthening the power and influence of the Hispanic community in the 2020 election. Through this multimillion-dollar campaign, ¡Adelante!: Moving Us Forward, we will not only multiply the number of Latino voters we register but we will also grow the Latino presence and voice in, among other issues, the presidential campaign, state and local races, and the 2020 Census,” said UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía.
UnidosUS has registered more than 700,000 voters in the last decade. For 2020, UnidosUS plans to register 120,000 new Hispanic voters, reach more than 350,000 voters with GOTV activities, and lift up the community’s priorities through local programs and events, polling, and advocacy.
UnidosUS released today an interactive new tool with the results of a national survey on the Latino electorate. During the event, UnidosUS and Latino Decisions released data and insights about Latino voters and what can be expected in 2020, including:
- The best strategy to increase Latino voter turnout in presidential elections is to close the registration gap.
- Latinos will play a decisive role in at least 23 of the most competitive 2020 House races, building on similar impact in the 2018 midterms, when Latinos voted at near-presidential election levels.
- Polls show 87% of Hispanic voters believe racism against immigrants and Latinos is a problem, and cite the rise of white supremacy (74%) and President Trump’s language (69%) as factors bearing responsibility for the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
- In terms of issues, a mix of jobs and the economy, health care, immigration, gun violence, climate change, and education top the list of Latino priorities.
- Only 16% of Hispanic voters say they like the GOP of today, and among Latinos who have supported Republican candidates in the past, more than half have a hard time supporting the GOP today.
“Latino voter concerns are expanding. In addition to bread-and-basket issues like jobs, health care and education, and intense concerns about anti-Latino and anti-immigrant policies and racism, for the first time gun violence and climate change round the top priorities for this community,” said Sylvia Manzano, Principal at Latino Decisions.
“For anyone who cares about these issues, the growth of the Latino electorate should be a welcome development—and we will see Latinos come out in record numbers in 2020,” said Clarissa Martinez de Castro, Deputy Vice President for Policy and Advocacy at UnidosUS. “To the parties and candidates, the message is clear: Candidates matter, issues matter, and meaningful outreach is essential to gain the support of and energize this electorate.”
UnidosUS, previously known as NCLR (National Council of La Raza), is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Through its unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico, UnidosUS simultaneously challenges the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels. For more than 50 years, UnidosUS has united communities and different groups seeking common ground through collaboration, and that share a desire to make our country stronger. For more information on UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
