Latinos could be a swing vote in 15th

If the race in the 15th Congressional District ends up being a tight contest, Latino voters could prove to a be a key swing constituency, a new report indicates.

The report, titled “The Power of the Latino Vote in America” and released last week by a Latino voters’ group, cites the “exponential” growth of the Latino electorate in recent years, with turnout surging by 83 percent in Pennsylvania between 2004 and 2008. Latino voters have leaned Democratic in recent years, voting for Barack Obama by a three-to-one ratio in 2008—something the report credits partly to the party’s stance on immigration reform.

In the 15th, Latino voters make up almost 9.5 percent of the electorate, according to the report, and that could spell trouble for incumbent Republican Charlie Dent, who voted for legislation that, among other provisions, requires employers to verify that workers are legal residents of the United States and streamlines the process of deporting illegal immigrants caught by local law enforcement. Known as the Sensenbrenner Bill, the legislation passed the House in 2005 but did not pass in the Senate. It sparked widespread protests by immigrant groups in 2006.

Dent is a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, which the report decries as “restrictionist.” It cites his Web site as saying: “A great, sovereign country must secure and control its own borders. We must be a ‘nation of laws’ and that is why I oppose granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. We cannot reward millions of lawbreakers over people who follow the rules.”

In a statement, Dent campaign manager Shawn Millan said the congressman stands by his vote, saying the bill is a necessary component of immigration reform.

“Congressman Dent went to a mixer about two weeks ago for Hispanic voters,” Millan said, “and those who attended seemed to be pretty happy with the job he’s been doing.”

After struggling to field a top-tier recruit against Dent in recently cycles, Democrats are hoping that Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan can mount a successful challenge.

Click here to see the report.