TEXAS, USA — Latino voters in Texas make up the 2nd largest group of voters in Texas, according to the non-profit UnidosUS.
The organization recently conducted a poll in Texas to determine the key issues that are important to Latinos.
“Hispanic voters are absolutely going to decide this election, here in Texas, and other states as well,” said Eric Holguin, Texas State Director, UnidosUS.
UnidosUS is a non-profit nonpartisan national Hispanic civil rights organization that does policy and advocacy work.
“It's to uplift Hispanic, Latino communities for housing, education, health care, economic prosperity, civil rights, voting rights, and immigration,” said Holguin.
UnidosUS says they wanted to get a feel and understanding of Hispanic voters as we head into the Presidential election.
“Hispanic voters in Texas, care about is how is their pocketbooks being affected right now. How are the prices in the grocery stores that they're going to right now? Can they afford to even buy a house? Is their rent too high?” said Holguin.
Other key issues include immigration, healthcare, abortion, crime and gun violence.
Holguin says it's important to know what's on the minds of Latino voters so candidates and elected officials can focus on those concerns, because he says Latinos are an economic, labor and voting powerhouse.
“Both political parties I realize like, if we want to stay in power, if we want our candidates to win, we have to win over that voting bloc, because they're the ones that are going to be deciding these elections,” said Holguin.
According to the poll, 26% of Latinos in Texas will be voting in their first Presidential election, and 38% of the electorate is new, since the 2016 election, with room for growth.
“Places like the Rio Grande Valley or San Antonio, the average age of your Latinos is late 30s, early 40s. So we're having a generation that is now starting to come to realize the voting strength, their economic strength, their labor strength,” said Holguin.
Holguin says it's also important Latino's make sure to get out and vote because Latino's have not yet fully realized their power. And Latino's have power in numbers.
Holguin adds, those numbers can really make an influence on elections and get people into office that they want to get into office.