The New Constituents

A new report released on November 17th by America's Voice examines how Latino population growth will shape Congressional apportionment after the 2010 Census. They predict that eight states will gain seats in the House of Representatives and eleven states will lose seats (Texas (+4), Arizona (+2), Florida (+1), Georgia (+1), Nevada (+1), Oregon (+1), South Carolina (+1), Utah (+1), Ohio (-2), Illinois (-1), Iowa (-1), Louisiana (-1), Massachusetts (-1), Michigan (-1), Minnesota (-1), Missouri (-1), New Jersey (-1), New York (-1), and Pennsylvania (-1)).

Their findings have some interesting implications:

• Latinos are not just settling in major cities, but in diverse regions of the country. After the 2010 Census, new Members of Congress in states like Georgia and South Carolina as well as Arizona and Texas will owe their positions, in part, to the expanding Latino population.
• States that are losing Congressional representation would have fared worse had Latinos not moved there in record numbers.
• While their states’ Congressional delegations are shrinking overall, Latino voters are gaining power as they expand their share of the electorate. Not only is the overall Latino population growing, but the number of Latino voters is also increasing dramatically.
• As this demographic continues to grow, politicians who ignore or demonize the Latino population in their states will find the road to re-election much more difficult.

To read the full report, click here.