Latinos overwhelmingly backed Dem candidates in Colorado

Latino voters in Colorado supported Democratic candidates by a 2 to 1 margin, with the voting bloc swaying the results in the hotly contested 8th District and securing Democratic control of the state's executive offices, a new poll shows.

Why it matters: The data confirms Latino voters were mobilized by both the candidates and voting to stand up for issues they most care about in this year's election.

Driving the news: Latinos were driven less by party loyalty and more by the opportunity to elect a Latino to office, according to an exit poll released Thursday by the Colorado Latino Policy Agenda, an initiative from several advocacy organizations.

• The collection of motivators ultimately benefited Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the 8th District.
• The poll was released a day after Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer conceded to Caraveo.

Zoom in: Support for Caraveo, who is Mexican-American, was high, with 75% of people in the 8th District polled saying they would support the Democratic candidate.

• The district included the largest share of Latino voters among the state's eight congressional districts.

Of note: At least one-fifth of people polled said they were voting for the first time across all age groups.

• Overall, 65% of the people polled self-identified as Democrats, while 16% were Republican and 17% were independent.
• The poll found a majority of Latinos said Democrats were best equipped to address issues around the economy, reproductive health care and gun violence.

What they're saying: "In CD8, and other tight races, we can say that Latinos were influential and pushed Democrats over the top in those districts," said Gabe Sanchez of BSP Research, which conducted the survey, during a press call discussing the results.