Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sun editorial:

Hispanic voters made their voices heard, and they could echo for years

One of the most refreshing stories from this year’s election was the strong turnout among Latino voters in Southern Nevada.

Even better, though, is that this is a story that could keep on giving. Las Vegas is being recognized as a national leader in efforts to energize the Latino vote, having created a successful model that is likely to be copied elsewhere as advocates prepare for the 2020 election.

In short, this is a case where what happened here definitely won’t stay here. And that’s great.

“There’s no question that Nevada is the gold standard for getting out and mobilizing the Latino electorate,” said Janet Murguia, the president of the national voter advocacy group UnidosUS, in a story aired this week on National Public Radio.

Although exact statistics aren’t available, an Associated Press study of more than 3,400 Nevada voters showed that Latinos made up 14 percent of the electorate this year in the state. Those voters favored Democrats by better than a 2-to-1 ratio, which helps explain why Democrats nearly swept the congressional elections in Southern Nevada and came one short of winning every statewide position.

For those results, credit goes to a coalition of local organizations that includes the Culinary Union, Mi Familia Vota and Nevada’s Future, which have assembled an incredible field team of staffers and volunteers who maintain contact with voters 12 months a year.

They’re people like Dora Olivia Arizmendi, a Caesars Palace housekeeper who took time off from her job to help with the effort.

“I have to be an example for my community, for my co-workers,” she told NPR. “I was in 110 degrees, knocking doors, and now I can see the differences. I’m proud of that. And I feel happy.”

That feeling is contagious.

With Latinos making up an increasingly larger share of eligible voters, it’s terrific to see them using their louder voice at the polls. That was especially the case this year in shouting back against the Republican Party’s anti-immigrant fear mongering and hateful rhetoric.

The AP survey indicated that more than two-thirds of Nevada voters cited President Donald Trump as a factor in how they voted, with 40 percent of those respondents saying they voted in opposition to him. Although the results didn’t break down those voters by ethnicity, there was ample anecdotal evidence that immigration was a key issue among Latinos in Nevada.

For the GOP, the results should be a wake-up call to end its demonization of immigrants from south of the U.S.-Mexico border, refugees, Muslims and other groups.

In Southern Nevada, especially, voters spoke loudly and clearly that diversity and inclusion are core values. In a community with thousands of Dreamers, recipients of Temporary Protected Status, residents here on work visas and so on, immigration policy is critical not only as a human rights issue but for the health of our economy.

Although turnout statewide wasn’t the highest for a midterm — it ranked only No. 5, in fact — the passion it drew from Latino voters made it significant.

On this Thanksgiving Day, our appreciation goes out to people like Arizmendi who did so much to encourage those voters to turn out.