Resurgent Republic

A lot has been written about the changing composition of our country’s electorate. According to Census estimates, Hispanics make up 13% of the voting age population — but the younger generation is coming right behind, and among that under 18 age cohort Hispanics represent 22% of the population. There’s no doubt about it — the electorate will look different in the coming years and Hispanics will play a greater role in determining the outcome of our elections.

This is a looming issue for the Republican Party. In the last three presidential elections, Hispanics have consistently chosen the Democratic candidate. They chose Vice President Gore over Governor George W. Bush in 2000 by 27 points and President Obama over Senator McCain by 36 points in 2008. President Bush managed to curry some favor among the Hispanic community during his first term in office and narrowed the gap, but he still lost their vote by nine points to Senator Kerry in 2004.

However, a recent survey conducted by The Tarrance Group on behalf of Resurgent Republic offers some insights into areas where Republicans may be able to improve relations with Hispanic voters and garner their support for this year’s elections and beyond. But, make no mistake — this is a steep climb when you consider that a majority (51%) of these Hispanic voters consider themselves to be Democrats, while only 18% call themselves Republicans and 30% say they are Independent.

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