Elections Reveal Minority Power
As their population swells, so does the power of Hispanic voters. Nowhere is this more evident than in California, where the number of Hispanic voters grew from 8 to 12 percent of the midterm electorate. CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes reports.
"The sleeping giant has awakened, you know, and we were just waiting for our moment," one Hispanic voter told CBS News.
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The effort made the big difference in the big, close California races.
About three-quarters of Latino voters supported Democrat Gray Davis for governor, and even Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer, whose liberal abortion stand conflicts directly with the Catholic Church.
"Latino voters were offended by the Republican party and its anti-immigration initiative, and that distaste for the Republicans might not be going any time soon," says political analyst Gregory Rodriquez.
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But in a different state, it's a different story.
Texas Gov. George W. Bush crowed Wednesday about what a Republican can do when he speaks directly to Latinos, almost doubling his Hispanic support to 49 percent.
"I believe I showed people that you can adhere to a conservative philosophy and win a sizeable portion of the Hispanic vote," said Bush.
It was African-Americans who made the difference for Democratic victories in New York, California, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina. Even in South Carolina, where it looked like longtime Sen. Fritz Hollings was going under, until last-minute anti-Republican, anti-impeachment advertisements ran on radio stations popular with African-Americans:
"They're at it again!! the ad began. "Republicans don't like who we elect and they start investigation. Now they're trying to turn around our election of President Bill Clinton."
Nationwide, the African-American and Hispanic voters sent a loud wakeup call to the GOP that, in tight races, minorities matter.
Reported By Sandra Hughes