Latino voters in Colorado overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidates this election, contributing to the failure of the so-called “red wave” in the state.

The Colorado Latino Exit Poll found that 72% of respondents voted for Democrats in congressional races – including in the new 8th Congressional District that has a nearly 40% Latino population. In CD 8, 75% of respondents supported Democrat Yadira Caraveo over Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer. Caraveo narrowly defeated Kirkmeyer by fewer than 2,000 votes, or 0.73 percentage points.

The exit poll is the first of its kind in Colorado, surveying 531 Latino voters across the state from Oct. 10 to Nov. 8, with an oversampling in CD 8.

“The Latino electorate is highly influential in Colorado and nowhere is that more clear than in Congressional District 8, which has the largest concentration of Latino voters in the state,” said Gabe Sanchez of BSP Research, which conducted the poll. “Latinos supported the candidate from their own community at even higher rates than the state’s overall Democratic vote, helping propel Yadira Caraveo to Congress.”

The poll also found that 72% of respondents voted for the Democratic candidate in their state Senate races and 71% voted for Democrats in their state House races. This comes as Democrats increased their hold over the state legislature this election, gaining two seats in the Senate and five seats in the House to achieve a historic 69-31 Democrat-Republican split.

Another 70% of respondents said they voted for Democrats U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. Jared Polis in their bids for reelection. Support for Democrats in other statewide races – secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general – varied from 58% to 65%.

Latino voters backed the following ballot measures in 3-to-1 margins: Proposition 121 to reduce Colorado’s state income tax rate, Proposition 123 to fund affordable housing programs, Amendment FF to provide free lunches to all public school students and Amendment GG to include the income-based change for taxpayers on ballot initiatives that change state income tax rates. All four of those measures passed. 

“During this midterm election, Latinas and Latinos demonstrated that we are more than just a swing vote; we are a vote that matters year-round,” said Dusti Gurule, president and CEO of Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). “This is what happens when you invest in and work with the community from the ground up.”

In 2020, 21.9% of Colorado’s population identified as Hispanic or Latino, according to Census results – the highest share since the 1870s. However, the political strength of Latino voters hasn’t grown with their population, with Latinos making up only 11% of Colorado voters in the 2020 presidential election and the 2018 midterm election, according to data from Univision.

However, activists say this is changing, with local groups working to increase voter participation among Latino Coloradans, including Voces Unidas, Colorado Latinos Vote and COLOR. The Secretary of State’s Office does not collect data on voters’ race or ethnicities, so it is currently unknown how many Latino voters turned out this year. 

The Colorado Latino Exit Poll is part of a research initiative by Voces Unidas de las Montañas, the Voces Unidas Action Fund, COLOR and the COLOR Action Fund. It is scheduled to be conducted bi-annually from now on.