(AURN News) DALLAS — Hispanic voters, particularly small-business owners, are expected to play a decisive role in the Texas Senate race, according to an opinion piece in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Javier Palomarez, president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council, wrote that the state’s growing Hispanic population is no longer a predictable voting bloc and must be actively engaged by candidates in both parties.
“A little over 12 million people in the state of Texas self-identify as Hispanic,” Palomarez said in an interview with AURN News. “They are the largest single population in the state of Texas.”
Palomarez also told AURN News that Hispanics make up about 40% of the state’s population and have become more politically independent in recent years, with voters willing to cross party lines depending on the issues.
He pointed to economic concerns as the top priority for many Hispanic voters, particularly those who own or operate small businesses.
“The top issues were then and continue to be what is now being referred to as issues of affordability… I’ve got to pay the bills,” he said.
Palomarez said that includes concerns about inflation, interest rates and access to capital — factors that directly affect entrepreneurs and working families.
The opinion piece also highlights how candidates who engage directly with Hispanic communities — through outreach and conversation — may gain an advantage in the race.
Palomarez cited increased engagement from some candidates as evidence that outreach can influence voter turnout and support.
He said both Democrats and Republicans have historically taken Hispanic voters for granted, often assuming they would vote along party lines without targeted outreach.
But that dynamic, he said, is shifting.
“Whoever gets the Hispanic vote is going to have to work for the Hispanic vote,” Palomarez said.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson:
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