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Report: Immigrants Could Swing Congress Races
Produced by Chip Mitchell on Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tsao predicts a major impact. (WBEZ/Chicago Public Radio)

A report based on new voter-registration data predicts Latino immigrants will play a big role in Chicago-area Congressional races.

An Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights study has found that registered Latino voters in six suburban Congressional districts have increased their numbers to nearly 175,000. Here’s the coalition’s Fred Tsao.

TSAO: What we’re seeing is large populations of immigrant voters, Latino registered voters, Asian American registered voters, who could have a major impact.

The Congressional candidates seem to be responding in a variety of ways.

In the far-west suburban 14th District, Republican challenger Jim Oberweis has not openly railed against illegal immigration, as he has in past campaigns.

Closer to Chicago, though, 6th District incumbent Peter Roskam is slamming his challenger, Democrat Jill Morgenthaler, for supporting what he calls “amnesty for illegals.”

I’m Chip Mitchell, Chicago Public Radio.

Chicagowill, Downers Grove // Friday, October 24, 2008 @ 11:12 AM

My wife registers voters for the League of Women Voters. She has told me repeatedly of the large numbers of recently naturalized immigrants she has registered this election. She has said that on each of the sessions she has attended, she registered more voters than she registered in the whole of the 2006 election cycle. If they all turn out to vote, they could have an effect on the 13th district race, too.