The Hispanic vote continues to grow in favor of the Republican Party. A new poll by the organization Bienvenido and WPA Intelligence indicates that 33% of Hispanic voters will back the GOP in the midterms versus 54% who will support the Democratic Party.
Although the Hispanic vote still leans Democratic, the study reveals a strong shift in the Hispanic community's preferences. The poll reflects that this 21-point margin is the closest Hispanics have been to the Republican Party since 1994. Thus, the Democrats' lead has been nearly halved in just four years from the 40-point advantage they achieved in the 2018 midterm elections (69% vs. 29%).
Our national poll of Hispanic voters on behalf of@bienvenido_usis featured in Newsweek.
The poll shows Republicans are on track for a strong performance with Hispanics in the midterm elections. https://t.co/OdW122O3kZ
- WPA Intelligence (@WPAIntel) October 18, 2022
In this way, Bienvenido's survey shows how the Latino vote is shifting to the Republican Party; a fundamental change of trend for the 2024 presidential elections, where this shift of the Hispanic community could be decisive.
Hispanic dissatisfaction with Democratic policies and immigration demands
The survey, published by Newsweek, revealed that 56% of Hispanics believe the country is on the wrong track. The poll singled out the economy as the most worrisome issue, with 74% rating the economy as "fair" or "poor."
"Republicans are on track to maintain their 2020 gains with Hispanic voters, who are clearly frustrated with an economy they see as leaving them behind," Bryon Allen, a partner at WPA Intelligence, told Newsweek.
On immigration, the poll reflected that 76% of Hispanic voters agree that people who are in the country illegally and have committed serious crimes should be deported. Also a large majority, 74%, is in favor of allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the country if they are law-abiding, pass a background check and pay the appropriate fines.
Preferences for the presidential election
On the other hand, 56% of Hispanic voters do not want President Joe Biden to run for re-election. Yet Biden has a higher net rating than Vice President Kamala Harris (+7% vs. +4%).
As for the possible candidates of the Republican Party, the Hispanic voter opts for Ron DeSantis. According to the survey, the Florida governor has a net rating of +5% compared to the -13% that a hypothetical candidacy of former President Donald Trump would project among Hispanic voters.
