Republicans plan to build on New Jersey outreach program, success
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Conservative Republicans can get a significant share of the Hispanic vote, provided they reach out aggressively and campaign in Hispanic communities,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres, after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie won 51% of the Hispanic vote Tuesday on his way to cruising to a 2nd term. According to a survey of voters as they left their polling places, that was a 19-point increase from his showing in 2009.
Republicans are looking at Christie’s Hispanics success as a sign that the party can win back a growing voting bloc that has turned away from them in recent elections. Christie has long sought Hispanic support, and spent more than $1 million on a Spanish-language ad campaign in this race.
His victory comes while the GOP reshapes its effort and political approach after Mitt Romney’s 2012 loss to President Obama, where Romney won just 27% of the Hispanic vote, the lowest showing for a Republican presidential candidate 
in a two-person race since the 1970s.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) plans to build on its outreach program in New Jersey, where staffers were dedicated to Hispanic outreach and bilingual voter contact to find new Republican voters. Izzy Santa of the RNC says 16 paid staffers have been deployed in eight states – including California, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania – and are building coalitions with other organizations to make inroads with Hispanics.
Democrats say Christie’s victory and strong showing with Hispanics is an “anomaly,” driven by the “force of his personality” and popularity with New Jersey voters. “I don’t think that is transferable to other candidates, nor is it sustainable,” said Mo Elleithee, communications director of the Democratic National Committee.
And Democrats also point to the Virginia governor’s race, where Democrat Terry McAuliffe won 66% of Hispanic voters, compared with 29% for Republican Ken Cuccinelli. as determined by in pre-election survey by Latino Decisions, which conducts polls and studies on Hispanic voters.
Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, both potential 2016 presidential candidates, are held up as examples of Republican politicians who appeal to Hispanics.
“If Republicans are identified as an anti-Hispanic party, and not just an anti-immigrant party, that will hurt them for decades,” said Matt Barreto, co-founder of Latino Decisions, and a University of Washington political scientist.
