---
title: "Republican Chris Christie captures about half the Latino vote"
description: "In his landslide re-election victory last night, New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie carried 51% of the Latino vote, a 19 point increase from his performance in 2009, according to exit polls."
date: "2013-11-06"
authors:
  - name: "Mark Hugo Lopez"
    job_title: "Director, Race and Ethnicity Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/mark-hugo-lopez/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/11/06/a-republican-captures-the-latino-vote/"
categories:
  - "Demographics & Politics"
  - "Hispanic/Latino Voters"
  - "Voter Demographics"
---

# Republican Chris Christie captures about half the Latino vote

![FT_13.11.06_NJLatinoVote](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/11/FT_13.11.06_NJLatinoVote.png)

In his landslide re-election victory last night, New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie carried 51% of the Latino vote, a 19 point increase from his performance in 2009, [according to exit polls](http://www.nytimes.com/projects/elections/2013/general/new-jersey/exit-polls.html).

Christie’s showing among Latinos came despite some strong headwinds for the GOP among this demographic group. In the 2012 presidential race, Republican candidate Mitt Romney won just [27% of the Hispanic vote nationally](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2012/11/07/latino-voters-in-the-2012-election/). In 2008, Republican John McCain won 31% of the Latino vote.

The Latino vote is [growing in importance](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2013/06/03/inside-the-2012-latino-electorate/) across the nation. Today, more than 23 million Latinos are eligible to vote, and a record 11.2 million voted in 2012.

The Republican Party’s image among Hispanics has deteriorated in recent years. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey of Hispanics, just [10% of Hispanic registered voters say the Republican Party has more concern for Hispanics](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2012/10/11/latinos-and-the-2012-presidential-election/) than the Democratic Party.

Latino voters have leaned more towards the Democrats and supported Democratic presidential candidates in [growing shares](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2012/11/07/latino-voters-in-the-2012-election/). Last year, President Obama won an overwhelming 71% of the Hispanic vote, a modest increase from the 67% he won in the 2008 election.

Christie is widely considered to be a contender for the presidential race in 2016 and it’s hard not to compare his success with the last Republican candidate to garner a significant share of the Hispanic vote, former president George W. Bush. Bush received [between 39% and 50% of the Hispanic vote](http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-250_162-190699.html) in Texas for his gubernatorial election in 1998 and then went on to win the presidency in 2000 with [35% of the national Hispanic vote](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2012/11/07/latino-voters-in-the-2012-election/) and was re-elected in 2004 with [40% of the Hispanic vote](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2005/06/27/hispanics-and-the-2004-election/).