October 27, 2006
Immigration galvanizes Latino voters
Many in
prepare to decide who'll fill a House seat.
By NICOLE GAOUETTENicole Gaouette
she will be thinking about on election day: "Immigration," the
homemaker said
as she heaved a Wal-Mart bag into her battered burgundy minivan.
An unaffiliated Mexican American voter, Segovia was unsettled by the tone the
Republicans took in this summer's contentious debate over immigration.
"They
are treating Hispanics incredibly mean, and we work hard," she said.
Segovia says politicians — and she includes Democrats — have charged the
atmosphere with such hostility that a stranger recently ordered Segovia to
speak
English as she helped a Spanish-speaking immigrant at the hospital.
"It's prejudice," said the mother of three and wife of a legal
Mexican
immigrant.
The faltering Iraq war and corruption scandals have pushed aside immigration
reform in many congressional contests, but it remains a boiling issue in
Denver's suburbs, where more than a quarter of the residents are Latino. In the
race for the open House seat here, that debate could determine who goes to
recent polls over Republican Rick O'Donnell, chairman of the state's Higher
Education Commission.
Republicans made immigration a central issue for 2006, calling for tough
enforcement and a 700-mile border fence. But that stance, meant to rouse the
party's conservatives, may backfire. Ethics scandals have alienated many core
GOP
voters, while the immigration debate has angered Latinos who tilt Republican
and energized those who don't.
With civic groups working to draw Latinos to the polls on Nov. 7, the fallout
from the immigration debate could tip elections not only in
The nonpartisan Democracia
105,000 Latino voters in
have tight congressional races.
In the 7th District, which rings
Latinos could wield 10% of the vote. In the unusual district, which is evenly
divided among Republicans, Democrats and independents, that gives them enormous
power to influence the outcome.
Both candidates highlight their conflicting views on immigration, but tread
carefully, trying not to alienate moderate voters.
Tanned and energetic, the 36-year-old O'Donnell wears his button-down shirts
tie-less, the better to telegraph a fresh approach to politics. He borrows
from the GOP playbook on enforcement, but softens the pitch, saying he worries
about the exploitation of illegal immigrants.
But O'Donnell also opposes guest worker programs and mocks his opponent's
support for "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. In ads, he links
Perlmutter to Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a central figure behind the Senate immigration
legislation and a favorite nemesis of conservatives.
"Ted and Ed's plan? Illegal immigrants get handouts and amnesty. We get
the
bill," a voice intones in one 30-second TV spot.
Perlmutter emphasizes border security and workplace enforcement, but adds
that when it comes to illegal immigrants, "We're not going to deport 12
million
people. That's not right, and that's where most Coloradans are."
He ridicules an O'Donnell proposal to send male high school seniors to
volunteer as guards on the border. "Drafting boys to become Mexican border
guards …
this is a crazy idea," he said.
The 53-year-old, who wears jeans and leavens his speeches with wry humor,
worked alongside Latinos as a teenager in his father's cement factory. He said
he
sees them as "no different" than other constituents and describes
immigration
as "a big issue, but not the biggest."
He also downplays his outreach to Latino voters but has overtly courted them
with Spanish-language ads and appearances with Latino lawmakers, several from
In that, his campaign mirrors Democratic efforts to woo Latinos, the nation's
fastest-growing ethnicity. Democrats hope the anti-immigrant tenor of the
national debate will propel Latinos to the voting booth and to their party.
"There's been a civic awakening," said Simon Rosenberg, president of
the New
Democrat Network, which has spent close to $2 million on Latino outreach for
this election.
debate has made 54% of Latinos more likely to vote. "That's a significant
shift,"
he said. "If Democrats make investments in this community, the benefits
will
be extraordinary."
Democratic strategist Ken Strasma said that polling and voter information
suggested Perlmutter would win about 68% of Latino voters.
Republicans also have pursued Latino voters, who often have conservative
social views that fit the party's agenda, but the effort disintegrated this
year
under the force of the immigration debate.
Colorado Republicans, however, say O'Donnell will win most of the Latino
vote. Frank Tijerina Jr., the state party's Hispanic Coalitions director, said
they're shooting for 40% to 60%.
But GOP leaders are clearly worried. "Immigration has really put a downer
on
things," said Robert Martinez, chairman of the state Republican Party.
"We're
throwing away tons of work we've put into Hispanic outreach just because of
some people's attitudes."
Colorado Democrats may also pay a price for the immigration debate. This
summer, the state's Latinos watched their Democratic-controlled Legislature
pass
some of the country's strictest immigration laws, including one that requires
proof of residency for all public benefits.
The debate left some Latinos as angry at Democrats as Republicans. "I see
both parties saying bad things," said Charlie Lopez, 25, a Denver-area
glass-fitter and Democrat. "It's not fair because people are putting a bad
name on us
Hispanics."
The 7th District has seen an influx of Latinos, including an estimated 40,000
illegal immigrants — a 21% increase, according to the
joints and markets that advertise jicama.
Some Latinos feel threatened by this wave yet are angry about the way
immigration is being used politically.
Guadelupe Martinez says she lost her hospital job to a Mexican, but the
"We're fighting for those jobs, yes, but I can see both sides," she
said.
"There's people here from
taking our good jobs, and no one is saying a thing. It's become very
racial."
Non-Latino immigrants such as Nagib Kikhia are angry as well. A native of
hear Americans talk about immigrants, immigrants, immigrants," the
unaffiliated
voter said. "These people are lazy. Do you see white people building
No. It's the Hispanic immigrants."
The real estate investor said he had considered voting for O'Donnell. "I
don't want to call him racist, but I decided this year I'm going all the way
Democratic," Kikhia said.
Local groups have said that anger has pushed the Latino and immigrant
community to engage politically.
"People said of Hispanics in
the wake of anti-immigration legislation in the 1990s, said Mariza Vasquez,
director of
well. There's no longer a passive observance of what's going on."
O'Donnell says that 7th District constituents tell him illegal immigration is
their primary concern. He has acted on that discontent, running ads charging
Perlmutter with backing in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Apart from Spanish-language media coverage of some events and
Spanish-language radio interviews done by Tijerina, the Republican Party has
done little
outreach to Latinos.
In contrast, the Democrat's website offers a window to "Perlmutter En
Espanol." The candidate is running ads on Spanish-language radio. And the
national
party has sent Spanish-speaking canvassers and Latino lawmakers, including some
from
Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Lakewood) shared waving duties in a parade, much of
it captured by the Spanish-language TV network Univision. Rep. Hilda L. Solis
(D-
Angeles
"They're a significant voting bloc," Perlmutter said, "period."