Identification with the Democratic Party among Latino registered voters remains high. However, since 2008 fewer Latino registered voters say the Democratic Party is the better party for Latinos, while a growing share see the Republican Party as the better party.
Which Party Has More Concern for Hispanics?
When asked which party has more concern for Hispanics, 45% of Latino registered voters identify the Democratic Party as the better party for Hispanics while 12% say the Republican Party is better for Hispanics.
Since 2008, the share of Latino registered voters who say the Democratic Party has more concern for Latinos has declined 10 percentage points—from 55% to 45%. Meanwhile, the share of Latino registered voters who say the Republican Party has more concern for Hispanics has increased, from 6% in 2008 and 2010 to 12% in 2011. Most of this change regarding views of the Republican Party comes from Hispanic Republicans. Today a greater share (28%) of them says the Republican Party is the better party for Hispanics than did so in 2010 (18%).
Nonetheless, in 2011 pluralities of just about all major groups of Latino registered voters say the Democratic Party has more concern for Hispanics. Even among Republican Hispanics, a significant share (20%) says the Democratic Party is the better party for Hispanics.
Despite an increase in the share of Hispanic registered voters who say the Republican Party is the better part for Hispanics, more say there is no difference between the two parties—33% versus 12%. Even among Hispanic Republicans, more (46%) say there is no difference between the two parties than say the Republican Party (28%) has more concern for Hispanics.
Party Affiliation among Latino Registered Voters
Hispanic registered voters continue to show a strong partisan allegiance to the Democratic Party. According to the Pew Hispanic survey, two-thirds (67%) of Hispanic registered voters say they identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party while just 20% say the same about the Republican Party.
The new survey also reveals that Democrats have extended their lead in party allegiance among Hispanic registered voters. Today the gap in party allegiance stands at 47 percentage points.
By contrast, among all registered voters, the Democratic lead is smaller—just 4 percentage points in 2011 (Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 2011d). Some 47% identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 43% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.
Across all demographic groups of Latino registered voters, large majorities identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party.
