Hispanic voters irked by the Republican hard line on immigration policy turned out in force and helped Democrats win in US congressional elections, according to exit polls and analysts.
Democrats won control of the US House of Representatives in Tuesday's elections, and clinched control of the Senate by a 51-49 majority when a final race was decided on Thursday. Exit polls showed more than two-thirds of Hispanics voted for Democrats in House races, while just 27 percent voted for Republicans.
Latino activists said many were revved up to support Democrats by a GOP pledge to crack down on illegal immigration and build stretches of wall along the Mexico border.
The policy was crafted to reach out to core conservative voters. But along with widespread concern at President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq war, it triggered a backlash among Latino voters.
"(Treating) immigration as a wedge issue dealt a double whammy to the Republican Party" at the polls, said Clarissa Martinez, the director of state policy for the National Council of La Raza activist group.
"It didn't work as a strategy with the broader electorate, and it actually had the effect of driving Latinos away from the Republican party," she added. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the United States and comprise about 9.3 million voters. Exit polls showed nearly seven of 10 Hispanics voted Democratic in races for House seats. Some 27 percent voted Republican, and 4.6 percent for independent candidates.
Nationally, Hispanics have no affiliation as a group to either major US political party, and in the past they have given greater support to the Republicans than they did on Tuesday. The question is whether they will remain disenchanted with Republicans as the United States prepares for the presidential election in 2008.
Activists say the key will be how Republicans and Democrats approach the thorny issue of what to do with the 10-12 million illegal immigrants living and working in the country.