Democrats eye Hispanics

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Democratic Party leaders said yesterday that losing the 2002 gubernatorial election was a startling defeat that has prompted them to reconnect with Hispanic voters who no longer automatically vote for a Democratic candidate.

“I think the party had become somewhat complacent,” Democratic Party Chairman Isiah “Ike” Leggett told The Washington Times. “That is what happens when you remain in power for so long.”

Mr. Leggett said the party, which was defeated by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., the first Republican to win the office in more than three decades, will next month focus on developing an outreach organization.

“We cannot afford to wait because it is just too important,” Mr. Leggett said. “Republicans are redoubling their efforts.”

The state Board of Elections has no statistics on how many Hispanics voted for Mr. Ehrlich, but Republican political strategist Kevin Igoe said they are growing in support of the governor.

Mr. Igoe said Democrats should be concerned, especially after House Speaker Michael E. Busch, Anne Arundel County Democrat, recently “tried to pick the pockets” of Hispanics and other Maryland voters with a record-setting tax-increase proposal.

Eric M. Sutton, executive director of the state’s Republican Party, agreed by saying the Democrat Party has too many “tax-happy” leaders.

“Their plans for higher taxes and higher government regulations would devastate Hispanic small businesses and squash better job [and] economic opportunities for the Maryland Hispanic community,” he said.

Democrats still control both chambers of the General Assembly by a wide margin and have two Hispanic lawmakers in the House — Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez of Montgomery County and Victor R. Ramirez of Prince George’s County.

Republicans have one elected Hispanic lawmaker, Sen. Alexander X. Mooney of Frederick.

Mr. Leggett said party leaders have thus far relied on Democratic clubs throughout the state to attract Hispanic voters.

However, he now thinks a more centralized outreach group is needed — a move that Maryland Republicans made more than a year ago.

“Oftentimes, you find people who fall between the gaps,” Mr. Leggett said. “And we need to make sure things are better coordinated and make sure that people know that we are legitimately concerned.”

He said the new organization, which has no name yet but will begin to take shape next month, will be more responsive to Hispanics and try to appoint more of them to regional and state offices.

At an estimated 35.3 million, Hispanics make up 12.5 percent the country’s population and are now the largest minority, which also makes them an important voting bloc.

Nationally, Democrats and Republicans have appealed to Hispanics for votes.

Most recently, President Bush has attempted to appeal to Hispanic voters by loosening immigration restrictions.

Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, is reportedly considering for his vice presidential running mate Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico who has Hispanic roots.

In 2000, there were 227,916 Hispanics living in Maryland, making up 4.3 percent of the state’s population, according to census figures. They live mostly in suburban Washington, with 100,604 Hispanics in Montgomery County and 57,057 in Prince George’s County.

Mr. Leggett says Democrats could win the 2006 election if they start meeting the needs of such a large number of voters, particularly by extending state tuition rates to illegal aliens.

“Republicans have certainly been making an effort,” he said. “I don’t see a great deal of success with it yet.”