Poll: Democrats start 2016 with advantage among Latinos

Republican leaders have spent two years since the 2012 election warning that the party needs to improve its standing with Latino voters. But things aren’t looking any better heading into 2016 presidential election, according to the latest NBC/WSJ/Telemundo poll.

Some 61% of Latino voters reported that they could see themselves pulling the lever for Hillary Clinton in the next presidential election versus 33% who said they could not. In a match-up between a generic Republican and generic Democrat, Latinos favored the Democrat 49% to 27%.

Clinton’s numbers are significantly stronger than three of her potential GOP opponents, including Cuban-American Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and former Florida governor Jeb Bush. 28% of respondents said they could vote for Bush versus 48% who said they couldn’t, while Rubio (21-37) and Cruz (17-40) fared poorly as well. Mitt Romney won 27% of the Latino vote in 2012, according to exit polls. 

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