ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of the Latino vote on the election outcome in Arizona. It addresses two important questions: First, did the Latino vote make a difference in the outcome of the 1996 presidential election; and second how did the Latino vote play a role in the way the presidential outcome was perceived? The chapter utilizes a model for an effective statewide Latino electorate developed by Fernando Guerra and Luis Fraga. Arizona has a population of 3.9 million people and approximately 21 percent are Latino or of Hispanic origin. In Arizona, the Latino population is a small but significant voting bloc. Unfortunately, in the last fifty years Arizona has had no history of competitive party elections for most statewide offices. Presently, Arizona has only one majority-minority US congressional district.
