LATINO VOTERS SHOW STRONG DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT IN CONGRESSIONAL RACES, SPLIT DEMOCRATIC SUPPPORT IN GOVERNOR’S RACE
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONTINUES TO GARNER STRONG SUPPORT AMONGST LATINO VOTERS
San Antonio, TX –In a statewide exit poll of Latino voters, Latinos continue to support the Democratic congressional candidate over the Republican candidate by a margin of 63.0% to 33.2%. These percentages are consistent with National voting patterns and consistent with voting trends of the Latino electorate in the last 2 cycles when Latinos supported Democrats at 70.3% nationally in ‘04 and 73.6% in ’02. With a larger field in the gubernatorial election, it might have suppressed the normal voting trends of Latinos.
1. For whom did you vote in your Congressional District race? |
TOPLINES: TEXAS |
Democratic Candidate |
63.0% |
Republican Candidate |
33.2% |
Other Candidate |
3.8% |
Source: 2006 WCVI Texas Exit Poll
Latinos didn’t garner their support around one candidate but split it around several candidates. Chris Bell received the largest percentage of support at 39.5% with Carole Keeton Strayhorn receiving another 28.6%. The incumbent and governor, Rick Perry only received 13.9% mirroring his support from ’02 WCVI exit polls.
22. ONLY TEXAS VOTERS: Whom did you vote for in the Gubernatorial race? |
|
Chris Bell |
39.5% |
“Kinky” Friedman |
14.3% |
Rick Perry |
13.9% |
Carole Keeton Strayhorn |
28.6% |
Other Candidate |
3.6% |
Source: 2006 WCVI Texas Exit Poll
Latinos also showed a strong support for Senator Hutchison garnering 53.7% of Latino support compared to 35.6% for her democratic challenger. Again, this is consistent with WCVI exit polls of Latino voters. In a 2000 WCVI poll of Texas Latino voters, Hutchison received 49.7% support. With increased name recognition and a longer tenure of service, Latino voters have shown a higher level of support for the senator.
21. ONLY TEXAS VOTERS: Whom did you vote for in your Senate race? |
|
Kay Bailey Hutchison |
53.7% |
Barbara Ann Radnofsky |
35.6% |
Other Candidate |
10.7% |
Source: 2006 WCVI Texas Exit Poll
“While other communities continue to flux as voters, these polls show that Latinos are the bedrock community for consistent voters and voting behavior. If politicians in Austin and DC want to enact change, they should look at these polls as a reminder to who helps them get into office,” says Antonio Gonzalez, President of the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI).
In determining the results for the 2006 elections, the WCVI exit survey interviewed 440 respondents in 32 precincts across the state of Texas . The margin of error for the study was +/- 4.5%.
The analysis of early and absentee Latino voters is based on official vote totals including counts of data from the 2004 U.S. Census Current Population Survey (CPS) and WCVI national & state exit poll data of Latino voting preferences in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
About the Willie C. Velasquez Institute
Chartered in 1985, the Willie C. Velasquez Institute is a nonpartisan, non-profit, Latino-oriented research and policy think tank with offices in San Antonio, Texas and Los Angeles, California. For more information regarding WCVI, please visit our website at www.wcvi.org.
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