Democratic Presidential Nomination Could Hinge on Divided Latino Vote

With Super Tuesday just four days away, Senators Clinton and Obama are actively courting support from Latino voters across the country. Latinos comprise a major portion of the Democratic electorate in many Super Tuesday states including California, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. In contests so far Clinton has won a large percentages of the Latino vote. In Nevada exit polls show she won more than 60 percent of the Latino vote even though the culinary workers union had backed Obama. In Florida, Clinton won 59 percent of the Latino vote. Obama won only 30 percent.
Clinton has scored several major endorsements from within the Latino community in California including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the pioneering labor activist Dolores Huerta.
Obama supporters in California include Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero and Maria Elena Durazo, the head of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The campaign has even split families. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez of California is backing Clinton while her sister, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez is in the Obama camp.

Dolores Huerta, longtime labor activist and co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez.

Federico Peña, co-chair of Barack Obama’s campaign. Under President Clinton he headed the Department of Transportation and served as Secretary of Energy. He is former mayor of Denver.

Gilbert Cedillo, California State Sentaor.

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