WASHINGTON – Barack Obama has picked up support from nearly all the Latino voters who voted for rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries, giving him a nearly 3-1 lead over Republican John McCain among Latinos, a new poll shows.
The Pew Hispanic Center survey found Obama with 66 percent of the Latino vote to McCain's 23 percent.
The results represent a "sharp reversal" in Obama's fortunes from the primaries, when he lost the Latino vote to Clinton by nearly 2-1, prompting speculation that Latinos were leery of voting for a black candidate, said Susan Minushkin, the center's deputy director.
Instead, more than 76 percent of Latinos who said they voted for Clinton now say they're leaning toward voting for Obama, while just 8 percent said they were leaning toward McCain.
The poll by the nonpartisan research organization is based on a telephone survey of 2,015 Latinos, 892 of whom were registered voters. Interviews in either English or Spanish were conducted June 9 through July 13. The survey carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
The poll comes as both campaigns seek to woo Latino voters. McCain has been advertising on Spanish-language radio in Florida, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, four key states with sizable Latino populations. Obama's campaign Wednesday unveiled its first Spanish-language ad in Florida.
The poll suggests the GOP brand is sinking with Latinos, as the center said it found that since 2006 Latino voters have moved "sharply" into the Democratic column.
Call Lesley Clark, McClatchy Washington Bureau, (202) 383-6054.
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