Emerging Latino vote could change Arizona’s political face

By 2050, Latinos will represent half of Arizona’s population and that is expected to create a major change in the state’s political landscape.

A new study from the Morrison Institute for Public Police at Arizona State University suggests that, once the young Latino population comes of age, that Arizona could shift from red to blue.

“It’s the young Hispanics, that are children today,” said Dr. Eric Hedburg with the Morrison Institute. “They’re going to grow up in a couple of decades and as citizens eligible to vote.”

Hedburg said the Latino population boom will generate a lot of slack in the system, possibly allowing the shift.

Currently, political parties don’t have a lot to lose by being partisan and polarized, but that could change in the future.

“Just like in a business where there is close competition and businesses start to do things like each other, the political parties are going to be forced to move to the center,” said Hedburg.