Figure 4 1999 to 2008: Democratic Lead Among Latinos Narrows, Then Widens
In addition to their strong support for Obama, Latino voters have moved sharply into the Democratic camp in the past two years, reversing a pro-GOP tide that had been evident among Latinos earlier in the decade. Some 65% of Latino registered voters now say they identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared with just 26% who identify with or lean toward the GOP. This 39 percentage point Democratic Party identification edge is larger than it has been at any time this decade; as recently as 2006, the partisan gap was just 21 percentage points.
Figure 4  | 1999 to 2008: Democratic Lead Among Latinos  | Narrows, Then Widens  | I I : I S I a  | Republican  | Democratic  | 58  | 56  | 28  | 28  | 26  | 25  | 25  | 23  | 1999  | 2002  | 2004  | 2006  | 2007  | 2008  | Sources Pew Hispanic Center, 2002-2008 National Surveys of Latinos and Washington  | Post-Kaiser Family Foundatton/Harvard University, 1999 National Survey onl atinos in  | America 