ABSTRACT
In 1992, Colorado was seen as a swing state in the presidential election, thus enhancing the potential importance of the Latino vote in this race. The Latino vote also appears to have substantially influenced outcomes in other phases of the 1992 electoral process. This chapter assesses the extent and nature of the Latino impact on the 1992 Colorado elections and seeks to provide a broader perspective on these issues. It indicates the pattern of party affiliation for the precincts with the highest proportion of Latinos and for the precincts with the lowest proportion of Latinos for each of the counties examined. Latinos are about twice as likely as the general population to register as Democrats, and only half as likely to register as Republicans. This suggests that Latinos can be highly influential in Democratic party primaries. The 1992 Democratic US Senate primary is important in assessing Latino voter influence because of potential Latino influence in state Democratic primaries.
