A million Hispanic voters expected to turn out

By Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - An unprecedented 1 million Hispanics will head to the polls in Texas this fall, a group working to boost participation of the state's Hispanic citizens predicts.

The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, which is deep into a voter-registration drive, says the rise - a nearly 50 percent increase from the 666,795 who voted in the 1992 presidential race - could be a major factor in the election's outcome.

"I feel very confident that it's very doable," said Lydia Camarillo, executive director of the project's Texas office. "We're certainly going to do everything we can to meet it."

The nonpartisan group's goal is to register 250,000 more Hispanics in Texas to raise the state's total from 1.2 million in 1992 to 1.5 million in time for the fall election.

Currently, about 1.3 million Hispanic voters are registered.

"There are about 8.9 million registered voters in Texas. If everything works out the way most general (presidential) elections work out, about 60 percent will vote, that's about 5 million. Out of that, 1 million will be Latino," she said.

If that prediction comes true, she said: "We're going to be the determining factor."

While some believe that the 1 million projection is too high, many political observers agree that more Hispanics than ever before will cast votes this year.

But not everyone is convinced the Hispanic turnout will be as high as the Southwest Voter officials project.

"I'm a little skeptical of some of their statistics," said Tom Pauken, Republican Party state chairman. "In the past, their statistics have been skewed more toward the Democratic Party, and the liberal wing of the party."

But Pauken added that he believes there will be some increase in Hispanic voting.
"That could be a significant factor in the election," he said.

Bill White, Democratic Party state party chairman, said he believes the goal is attainable.

"The Hispanic voters are the sleeping giant in Texas politics. They're waking up," White said.
Camarillo cited several factors in predicting the sizable increase: Voter interest traditionally is high in presidential elections and there are several local elections in areas where Hispanic voter turnout could be high, including El Paso County, Bexar County and South Texas.

Also, a Hispanic candidate - Victor Morales, Democratic nominee for U.S. senator - tops the ticket of a major party for the first time in Texas.

In the runoff election earlier this month, Morales won in El Paso and South Texas, areas heavily populated by Hispanics.

The Mesquite schoolteacher who gained fame for campaigning in his truck also garnered votes from other racial and ethnic groups.

Camarillo and others believe Morales' candidacy against Republican U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm could go far in motivating more Hispanics to go to the polls.

If he won, he would be the first Hispanic U.S. senator from Texas.
Hispanics in Texas tend to vote Democratic, with about 20 percent registered as Republicans.
Camarillo believes neither group should lay claim to those votes just yet.

"I think that both parties need to create an agenda that addresses the concerns of the Latino community."