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diggA look back at November midterm elections
An exit poll conducted by the Associated Press during November elections revealed about half of Arizona's Hispanic citizens voted to support Proposition 103, which made English the state's official language.
Responses showed Hispanics and other racial groups were torn over Prop. 103; Whites and African American voters favored it.
Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International polled 2,523 voters for AP and television networks. The survey included 600 absentee voters interviewed by phone, representing 20 percent of the total sample.
The proposition found support among more than half of Democrats voting and about three-fourths of independent voters. The poll also showed that nine in 10 Republicans supported Proposition 103.
The proposal received support across all age categories, though younger voters favored it least.
Two other propositions were passed that will deny bail to undocumented immigrants accused of felonies and prevent undocumented immigrants from collecting punitive damages in court. (See story on Proposition 300, which voters passed, on page 54.)
Some Latino state Legislators found themselves conceding after a tight race, while others got the chance to celebrate victory. Yuma Sen. Democratic Rep. Amanda Aguirre overcame what appeared to be a 300-vote victory by republican rep. Russ Jones for Senate district 24 in southwest Arizona, winning by slightly more than 100 votes.
And although Israel Torres trailed (about 39 percent) incumbent Secretary of State Jan Brewer, who garnered 54 percent of the vote, he remains the first Latino candidate to seriously challenge an incumbent for the post.
