Latinos and the 1988 elections: Arizona

This chapter examines the extent to which Latinos played a significant political role in the 1988 elections in Arizona. It focuses on the presidential election, also examines other elections. According to the US Census Bureau, only 32.5 percent of Arizona Hispanics voted in the 1988 presidential election, while 55.4 percent of Anglos voted. Latinos make up about 16 percent of Arizona’s population. Among the states, Arizona ranks eighth in the total number of Hispanics/Latinos and fourth in Hispanic concentration, that is, the proportion of Hispanics in the population. A February 1988 report indicates that Hispanics make up 14.5 percent of Arizona’s voting-age population, and data on voter registration from the Southwest Voter Research Project indicate that Hispanics make up less than 9 percent of Arizona’s registered voters. The vast majority of Arizona’s Latino population is of Mexican background. In terms of party registration, Arizona’s Hispanics show a marked preference for the Democratic Party.