Hispanic voters' independence seen as potential 2004 election factor

Published: 2004-04-22

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Although three-quarters of Hispanic Catholics and two-thirds of Hispanic Protestants supported Democrat Al Gore over Republican George W. Bush in 2000, "there is a growing independent streak among Latinos" that could play a key role in this year's presidential elections, according to a leading researcher in the field. Gaston Espinosa, research director for the Hispanic Churches in American Public Life project funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, told a Washington audience recently that the 2000 election results among Latinos marked a significant shift from 1996, when 81 percent of Hispanic voters backed Democrat Bill Clinton, 14 percent voted for Republican Robert Dole and 5 percent supported third-party candidate Ross Perot. In 2004, the toss-up states that could decide the election may include New Mexico, whose population is 42 percent Hispanic, and Florida, which is 17 percent Hispanic, said Espinosa, who is a postdoctoral fellow in the religion department at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

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