Hispanics score historic gains in 1998 elections

Hispanics score historic gains in 1998 elections

AMANDA COVARRUBIAS, Associated Press Writer, Monday, November 9, 1998

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hispanic candidates made historic gains across California in Tuesday's elections, capturing their first statewide office in more than 100 years, their first mayoralty of a major city and six more seats in the state Legislature.

And analysts say that California's Hispanic voters -- as the fastest-growing segment of the state's electorate -- are positioned to become major players in the 2000 presidential election.

``A presidential candidate cannot win the election without winning California, and certainly without winning Latino votes,'' said Leo Briones, a Los Angeles political consultant. ``Their effect on national politics will be amazingly significant. Everyone will be paying attention.''

Hispanics also gained political ground in other states.

In Colorado, Denver attorney Ken Salazar was elected attorney general on Tuesday.

Hispanics gained four statewide posts in New Mexico: attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and treasurer.

In Massachusetts, three Hispanics were elected to the state House, where there had been none. Wisconsin gained one.

``When you go from zero to three in the state House, and not in predominately Latino districts, then voters are going beyond ethnicity and saying, 'I know what this person's position is on issues that are relevant to me and I'm going to vote for this person,''' said Marcelo Gaete of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

``That's what we saw Tuesday,'' he said. ``It's almost like the words of our Founding Fathers are coming true: All men are created equal.''

California, where Hispanics comprise 30 percent of the population, saw the largest gains.

Cruz Bustamante was elected lieutenant governor. The Democrat is the first Hispanic elected to statewide office since Romualdo Pacheco was elected lieutenant governor in 1871.

Ron Gonzales was elected mayor of San Jose and Lee Baca was chosen sheriff of Los Angeles County, which has the largest sheriff's department in the country.

Even Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez earned an unexpectedly lopsided victory in heavily Republican Orange County over conservative Bob Dornan, whom she unseated two years ago by a bare 984 votes.

``It's the year of the Latino,'' Bustamante said the day after his victory. ``Latino candidates have shown they are the crossover candidates. There is no radical ethnic agenda.''

Underscoring the trend, Rod Pacheco, the first Hispanic Republican elected to the California Legislature this century, was named Assembly minority leader. The top Democrat is Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles.

Pacheco, of Riverside, was one of four Hispanic Republicans elected to the state Assembly on Tuesday, boosting the total number in both houses from 18 to 24.

Hispanic politicians were not the only ones to reap the rewards of an invigorated Hispanic electorate.

In New York, Rep. Charles Schumer could not have wrested the U.S. Senate seat from Alfonse D'Amato without the support of Hispanics.

Hispanics also were crucial to Republicans Jeb Bush and his brother, George W. Bush. Jeb Bush was elected governor of Florida and George Bush, who speaks Spanish and stresses that immigrants are welcome, was elected to his second term as governor of Texas.

Many saw the Democratic gains in California -- led by Gov.-elect Gray Davis -- as a backlash against Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, who used anti-illegal immigration rhetoric during his reelection campaign four years ago.

Republicans further alienated Hispanics two years later when they supported a ballot measure to eliminate affirmative action. That same year, congressional Republicans revamped welfare and cut off funds for services to most legal immigrants.

To capitalize on those feelings, Davis ran a TV ad in Spanish showing Republican opponent Dan Lungren and Wilson together.

Another energizer for California Hispanics was Proposition 5. Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure that allows American Indian tribes to operate Nevada-style slot machines. Supporters sent out mailings to Hispanic voters in Spanish that read: ``Pete Wilson treaty, NO. Indian rights, YES.''

Wilson had negotiated legal gambling compacts with some tribes that many Indians felt violated their right to self-determination.

``Latinos identified with Indians because they are half-Indian themselves and because they identify with underdogs,'' said Briones, who worked on the Yes on 5 campaign.

Hispanics comprised an estimated 13 percent of Tuesday's voter turnout in California, where 1 million new Hispanic voters have been registered in the last four years.

``What it means is California is no longer dominated by the white male,'' Briones said. ``It means you can win statewide elections in California by forming a coalition of Latinos, African-Americans, moderate independents and moderate and liberal Democrats.''

Antonio Palada, a postal worker in San Francisco's largely Hispanic Mission District, said he voted for Davis because he was turned off by Republicans' negative campaigning.

``They tend to go against the Latino community,'' he said. ``You can see the propositions they put on the last election. Now they have to pay for that. The Latino voters are coming out to vote.'