The Hispanic Leadership Fund, a group that supports comprehensive immigration reform and that advocates for individual liberty, opportunity and prosperity released a report today called “Fear Not” that details how “Republicans running for Congress are neither helped by more restrictive immigration positions nor hurt by less restrictive immigration positions.”
The study analyzed sixty-six U.S. House races in the 2014 midterm elections and quantified the candidates’ immigration positions in each one of those races on an eight-point scale that measured restrictiveness of immigration positions taken by the candidates.
It also described how:
- In 2014, Republicans won a strong majority of competitive House seats their candidate held a “compromise” position on immigration (43 out of 66 races, 65%).
- A total of 56 Republican candidates held positions ranging from N1-N5. Of these, 34 won (61%)
- In several polls taken during the 2014 election (and exit polls after), a majority of voters responded by saying healthcare and the economy were the top issues that would determining their vote while immigration was on the bottom of their priority list.
- Historically the President’s party loses U.S. House seats during mid-term elections. That trend continued in 2014.
Ultimately, the President of the Hispanic Leadership Fund, Mario H. Lopez, states that “the analysis demonstrates that there are little consequences towards a candidate’s election chances based on their stance on immigration. Despite the shrill voices telling them otherwise, Republicans have no need to fear adopting a reasonable immigration position that actually solves the problem – strong border security, reform of the bureaucratic legal system, and a tough but fair process for dealing with those currently here.”