Bush's gain among Hispanic voters attributed to Protestants

Published: 2005-06-29

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President George W. Bush's electoral gain among Hispanics between 2000 and 2004 reflects the increase of Protestant voters among Hispanics, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center. "Hispanic Protestants were both a growing and increasingly pro-Republican constituency between the two elections," it said. Hispanic Catholic support for Bush, meanwhile, remained steady at 33 percent for both presidential elections, it added. Overall, the report said that the sharp increase in the Hispanic population in recent years has not resulted in greater Hispanic political clout because many Hispanics cannot vote because they are too young or are noncitizens. Another factor cited is that a smaller percentage of Hispanics who are registered voters go to the polls in comparison to whites and African-Americans.

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