Poll: most hispanic voters still lean left

According to a survey from the Partnership for a New American Economy,  Hispanics would overwhelmingly vote Democrat if the 2016 presidential election were held today.

The poll results show that 51 percent of Hispanics would vote for the Democrat candidate, compared to 27 that would vote Republican.

Hillary Clinton is the Democrat candidate of choice of 50 percent of the Hispanic voters polled, well ahead of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (6 percent) and Vice President Joe Biden (5 percent). Thirty-one percent either didn’t know or didn’t answer.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (13 percent) is the preferred candidate on the right, ahead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (10 percent) and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (9 percent). Rubio is Cuban-American.

In hypothetical 2016 matchups, Clinton was favored every time: 63 percent to 26 percent over Bush; 63 percent to 24 percent over Christie; 66 percent to 21 percent over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; 64 percent to 23 percent over Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; 63 percent to 27 percent over Rubio; 64 percent to 24 percent over Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan; and 67 percent to 22 percent over Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

As for immigration reform, 47 percent of the Hispanics polled said that addressing the status of undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States is the top priority. And 61 percent said illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship.

Forty-five percent said Democrats have views similar to theirs regarding immigration reform.

According to a Washington Post story last year, George W. Bush had 44 percent of the Hispanic vote in the 2004 election — the most by any Republican since 1972. The second highest total belonged to Ronald Reagan, who earned 37 percent in the 1980 and 1984 elections.

President Barack Obama won the Hispanic vote in the last two elections,  by margins of 36 percent and 44 percent.

The results from a Pew Research Center poll, meanwhile, show that Republicans are making strides in gaining more Hispanic voters, with support for Democrats among the demographic down from 65 percent in 2010 to 57 percent.

(From the: NILP)