Democrat’s Las Vegas debate eyes Latino voters

The party has been using a Spanish-language website and a soccer team to reach out to Hispanics, who now make up about 24% of the state’s population, up from about 20% in 2000. Chrysanthe Georges, a marketing firm owner, attributed the growth to the availability of jobs, particularly the building and staffing of casinos.

Converting that growth into Democratic votes may not be so easy, analysts said. Hispanics made up only 10% of the electorate in 2004 when President Bush narrowly beat John Kerry in Nevada, according to the Almanac of American Politics.

Andres Ramirez, who leads Hispanic outreach for Nevada Democrats, said Hispanics make up only 10% of registered voters, yet were 13% of the electorate in 2006, when the state had a hotly contested gubernatorial race.”*

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