A new poll [.pdf] shows nearly three quarters of registered Colorado Latino voters plan to back President Obama in November, while also revealing greater than expected enthusiasm among the key voting block in the state this year.
The non-partisan polling firms Latino Decisions and America’s Voice sampled four hundred registered Latino voters in Colorado from September 30th to October 4th, right before the first presidential debate.
Despite an active effort by Republicans to court Latino voters here this year, the results still show President Obama with a wide edge. A majority of respondents also said immigration and the economy are the biggest issues facing Colorado Latinos.
At an roundtable for the poll’s release at Metropolitan State University, Olivia Mendoza of the Colorado Latino Forum said that’s not a surprise.
"They’re interwoven, issues like predatory lending and the jobs and economy, or opportunities to start your own business, for Latino small businesses [this] is very much woven into immigration policy because you have to have protection for these immigrants," Mendoza said.
Analysts at the forum also said they expect Mitt Romney to see a small boost in future polls among Colorado Latinos following his debate performance last week. But overall, they predicted the GOP presidential hopeful faces an uphill battle with Latino voters here, due to his – and his party’s - hard-line stances against illegal immigration.
