Turning Texas Blue Depends On Mobilizing Latinos. That's Tougher Than It Sounds.

[TexasTowelie]

Texas Democrats see an opening during this year’s midterm election. They are hoping to pick up seats in Congress that they haven’t won in a long time, as well as a slew of seats down the ballot. To do that, though, the party will have to get Latinos in Texas – who don’t often go to the polls – to vote in higher numbers.

Joseph Kopser, a Democrat running for an open seat vacated by longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, recently held what he called an “immigration roundtable” in San Antonio.

“I want to learn from you all and I hope we learn from each other,” he told a small group of immigration activists.

The event was an effort to start reaching out to Latino voters in the district, which is a historically red district and includes parts of Austin, San Antonio and the Hill Country. Kopser’s opponent, Republican Chip Roy, is largely expected to win.

Read more: http://www.kut.org/post/turning-texas-blue-depends-mobilizing-latinos-s-tougher-it-sounds

[RandySF]

1. And Latinos are not fired up for Beto.

[TexasTowelie]

2. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they might be willing to come out to vote for Lupe Valdez as

governor. However, I've barely heard mention of her in the past couple of months. At least there is an organizational event for Beto at the junior college where I live, but I don't know if there will be any coordination with the other Democratic races.

[beachbum bob]

3. if latino voters sit out, then they better be ready for worse treatment coming their way

[onetexan]

4. Not only that, there r latinos who vote conservatively

And usually against their interests.

[Gothmog]

5. Family separations at the border help fuel new Latino voter drive

If Latinos in Texas voter in the same percentage as Latinos in California, Texas wold be a blue state. California was a purple state until Pete Wilson motivated Latino voters to start voting. Trump may accomplishing the same result https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/family-separations-border-help-fuel-new-latino-voter-drive-n906906

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s policy that has resulted in the separation of parents and children along the southern border may have accomplished something Latino activist groups haven’t before: Prompting a long-term voter registration drive uniting progressive and traditional Democratic groups.

On Thursday, a new coalition led by the nonprofit advocacy group Voto Latino will launch a three-year, multi-million dollar effort to register Hispanics, who’ve historically been among the least likely group of voters to cast a ballot, NBC News has learned.

Despite decades of effort by liberal-leaning organizations, Hispanic voters consistently turn out in numbers far lower than other demographic groups relative to their population. Every year, Democrats promise a surge in Latino turnout and spend millions on the cause, only to come up short. That was true even in 2016, after Trump launched his presidential campaign by calling many undocumented Mexicans drug dealers and rapists....

The coalition also hopes to convince donors to shift from the party’s traditional focus on swing states in the Midwest to states with the biggest growth in population, like Texas and Arizona. In 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton dramatically improved on Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 margins in those states, a shift that was overshadowed by Trump’s strength in former midwest battlefields.