“Both political parties realize that if they want to stay in power, if we want our candidates to win, then we have to win over that voting block,” Eric Holguin said.
TEXAS, USA — Latino voters in Texas make up the second largest group of voters in Texas, according to non-profit UnidosUS.
The organization recently conducted a poll in Texas to determine the key issues important to Latinos.
“Hispanic voters are absolutely going to decide this election, here in Texas and in other states as well,” said Eric Holguin, Texas State Director, UnidosUS.
UnidosUS is a non-profit non-partisan national Latin American civil rights organization that conducts policy and advocacy work.
“It’s to uplift Hispanic, Latino communities for housing, education, health care, economic prosperity, civil rights, voting rights and immigration,” Holguin said.
UnidosUS says it wanted to get a feel for and understanding of Hispanic voters as we head into the presidential election.
“Hispanic voters in Texas worry about how their pocketbooks are affected right now. What are the prices at the grocery stores that they’re going to right now? Can they even afford to buy a house? Is their rent too high?” Holguin said.
Other key issues include immigration, health care, abortion, crime and gun violence.
Holguin says it’s important to know what Latino voters are thinking so candidates and elected officials can focus on those concerns because he says Latinos are an economic, labor and voting powerhouse.
“I’m aware of both political parties that if we want to stay in power, if we want our candidates to win, we have to win over that voting block because they are the ones who are going to decide these elections,” Holguin said.
According to the poll, 26% of Latinos in Texas will vote in their first presidential election, and 38% of voters are new since the 2016 election with room for growth.
“Places like the Rio Grande Valley or San Antonio, the average age of your Latinos is late 30s, early 40s. So we have a generation that is now starting to realize the voting power, their economic power, their workforce ,” Holguin said.
Holguin says it’s also important for Latinos to get out and vote because Latinos have yet to fully realize their power. And Latinos have power in numbers.
Holguin adds that these numbers can really influence elections and get people to run for office as they want to run for office.
If you would like to know more about UnidosUS, you can click here.