The next races where Latino voters will be decisive

A handful of razor-edge districts are now top targets for Democrats.

“Skip to Main Content The next races where Latino voters will be decisive From Colorado to Arizona to Nebraska, Democrats are watching the record Latino turnout numbers and making these voters a top target for their campaigns”

POLITICO

Those include Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, represented by the retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon; Colorado’s 8th District, held by incumbent Republican Rep. Gabe Evans; and Arizona’s 6th District, held by incumbent GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani.

Candidates watching the turnout include Denise Powell in Nebraska, Manny Rutinel in Colorado and JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona.

Rutinel said, 'This is Colorado’s most Latino district. It’s drawn for Latino representation,' and warned constituents feel 'both scared on the one hand about what’s happening with ICE brutality in this district and beyond, and they’re also feeling energized to fight back.'

Rutinel added, 'I’m the only Latino candidate in this race and bilingual, I have the ability to speak directly to these communities.'

Former state legislator Shannon Bird has earned top labor-union endorsements.

Her campaign manager Eve Zhurbinskiy said, 'We’ve already knocked on thousands of doors in heavily Hispanic neighborhoods and attended dozens of community and cultural events organized by local Hispanic institutions.'

Powell emphasized strategy ahead of the May 12 primary, saying, 'we’re not taking anything for granted.'

John Cavanaugh described an 'aggressive Latino voter contact plan' in Nebraska.

Republicans have made significant inroads with Latino voters in recent years, and the GOP is publicly confident those margins will hold.

RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said, 'Democrats haven’t learned a thing from the historic realignment among Hispanic voters in recent elections,' and argued that Trump’s agenda of 'secure borders, safe communities, and a strong economy' resonates and is enabling Republicans to be on offense.

“Skip to Main Content The next races where Latino voters will be decisive From Colorado to Arizona to Nebraska, Democrats are watching the record Latino turnout numbers and making these voters a top target for their campaigns”

POLITICO

The article notes Latino turnout has historically been abysmal in midterm elections, and many Latinos report never interacting with any campaign, making the recent surge 'eye-popping'.

Local demographics matter: Latinos in South Omaha make up about 10 percent of Nebraska's 2nd.

With Texas delivering an early sign of Latino engagement, Democratic strategists say they are treating Latino voters as persuasion targets rather than mere turnout targets and expect Latino outreach to grow in these must-watch races.