From Politic365 on Nov 1, 2012:

The first Latino senator from Texas is set to be a Cuban American Republican who was born in Canada. The most interesting thing about Cruz’s political rise is how little it had to do with the Lone Star State’s history. In a state that is majorityminority, with Latinos (Mexican Americans) making up the bulk of that percentage.

In some respects, it seems like Cruz tries to have it both ways. He opposes the DREAM Act, buthighlighted his own immigrant roots in a recent TV ad and at the Republican convention. So, in a sense, Cruz seems to use his heritage as part of his narrative when it suits him politically.

Yet, in a Republican political stronghold that has held fast since the 1990s, Ted Cruz comes to prominence as a consequence of not his Latino heritage, but the fact that he is closely aligned withTea Party principles…

From Politic365 on Oct 29, 2012:

Early voting in Texas is becoming the normal way people vote, as numbers of early voters have increased every year without fail, especially when it comes to Latino voters. The Texas Secretary of State posts early voting data on the statewebsite, which attests to the dramatic growth of early voting, but one election official we talked to said these numbers were especially notable for Latino voters.

For example, more than 1.5 million registered voters in Texas have voted early in person thus far, at this point in the election in 2008 that number was 1.2 million. In Harris County (Houston) about 49,417 early voters had shown up to the polls after the first five days of early voting; this year it’s 71,393. In the 2008 election 63% of Harris County’s voters voted before election day.

Hector de Leon, Director of Communication and Voter Outreach for the Harris County Clerk’s Office, told Politic365 that early voting in the Houston area has increased dramatically every year for all ethnic groups, but as the city’s Latino population has grown, so has its early voting behavior. The number of voters there has also grown, from 1.8 million in 2008 to 2 million this year…

From Politic365 on Oct 15, 2012:

A series of mailers hitting residents of a contentious congressional district in South Texas are attempting to bring abortion to the forefront of the race. The mailers claim that Democratic candidate for Texas’ 23rd district, Pete Gallego, is a “baby killer” and promotes abortion for underage girls.

Politic365 spoke to Gallego about the mailers, which are being sent by his Republican opponent, Congressman Francisco “Quico” Conseco. The mailers not only highlight abortion, but claim that Gallego “denied God” and wants “marriage to be between man & man.”

What’s interesting about this spark in the culture war is that the race is between two Latinos, and these flyers are attempting to stir up passions about values issues. Recent polls show Latinossupport gay marriage and tend to be pro-choice…