CityAndStatePA .com
November 2021
The Latino vote in Pennsylvania is only growing
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ENNSYLVANIA IS changing and politicians have to catch up. The 2020 census results revealed more than just how voting maps can be drawn, but they also showed the growing influence of Latino voters in Pennsylvania politics. “The truth of the matter is that from here on out, there is no candidate who can win Pennsylvania without courting the Latino vote,” state Rep. Manuel Guzman told City & State. “It’s not a community that you can kind of just brush aside anymore. It is a community that you actively need to engage with and actually get your hands on the ground and get feet on the ground.” Within the last 10 years, the Keystone State’s demographics have changed significantly. The commonwealth’s white population fell by more than 500,000, while the Hispanic population grew by about 330,000. Latinos now make up the majority of the population in Allentown, 29% of Bethlehem, 69% in Reading and 15% in Philadelphia. Luzerne and Lehigh counties also saw jumps in their Latino populations by 25,000 and 31,000, respectively. And a 45.8% increase in the Latino population in Philadelphia accounted for about two-thirds of the city’s overall population growth. Following all those increases, Latinos now make up about 8% of the state’s population. Census data shows that the population accounted for just 3.2% of the state population in 2000 and about 5.7% in 2010. Guzman, who represents the City of Reading, was the Latino constituency director for President Joe Biden’s campaign in Pennsylvania. He said that while both Democrats and Republicans will have to work for the Latino vote, he’s seen the Democratic Party ignore them before. “The party has taken people of color for granted and taken our votes for granted,” he said. “I’m not surprised that many Latinos feel disenfranchised and feel left out of the political process, because quite frankly, I can imagine that no one has cared enough to knock on somebody’s door to ask them about what they care about and what they
Politicians are quickly learning to court the Latino vote. But which side does it better?
look for in a representative.” Even though Biden received the majority of Hispanic votes in 2020, former President Donald Trump made gains among the group overall, according to Pew Research Center. Engaging with Latino communities is a must, but not every community is the same. When talking to Allentown’s mayoral candidates and advocates last month, one message was clear: Latino voters are not a monolith.
By Harrison Cann
“Latinos are getting more engaged now than ever. They’re tired of just sitting on the sidelines,” Tim Ramos, the Republican candidate for mayor, told City & State. “I think it’s about high time that both parties do the job and start recognizing that the Latino community is telling [them] that they need to start having real solutions and start listening to them if you want to earn their vote.” Ramos, who said he cherishes his Puerto Rican heritage and has remained active in
MARCO CALDERON
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