DIANA MARRERO
 

WASHINGTON -- Millions of Hispanics are expected to vote in Tuesday's critical midterm election, but their decisions won't be based solely on the immigration debate that dominated much of the political arena this year.

Like other Americans, they will also be thinking about the Iraq war, the economy, education and health care as they cast their ballots.

As the nation's largest minority group, Hispanic voters could play a decisive role in many congressional races in the battle for control of Congress. To get their attention, Hispanic voters say, candidates need to talk to them about more than just immigration.

Tahis Castro, an activist and union worker from Reno, has already voted, taking advantage of Nevada's early voting process.

While she is interested in the immigration issue, she's also worried about rising health care costs, job security and the minimum wage.

"When you deal with the community on a daily basis, you see the struggles they go through to support their families," said Castro, who emigrated from Costa Rica. "Some of these people have two jobs and still don't have health insurance."

One in five Hispanics chose Iraq as the most important problem currently facing the country, according to a poll conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center this summer. Other issues included the economy and immigration.

"The war is the biggest issue for me," said David Gutierrez, a businessman from Cathedral City, Calif. "We've had too many people killed. I'm sick and tired of it."

Gutierrez, who was born and raised in California, is like many other Hispanics across the country who say Iraq is at the top of their list of concerns this year.

One in five said jobs and the economy were the most important issues to them and their families, followed by education, health care and immigration, according to the poll.

"Many people don't realize that Hispanic voters gravitate to the same issues that mainstream voters do," said Harry Pachon, president of the Tomás Rivera Institute in California. "It's not like they're totally different than the American electorate."

A more recent survey by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake also found that the economy, health care and Iraq were at the top of the list for Hispanic voters -- and that those issues would make them vote for Democrats.

There are about 17 million Hispanic U.S. citizens of voting age, and 75 percent were born in the United States, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

About 5.6 million are expected to vote this year, according to a study released this week by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. The number is expected to represent about 6 percent of the total votes cast this year.

Joe Pacheco, a retired schools superintendent in Sanibel, Fla., has many things to be angry about: the outsourcing of American jobs, low wages and a debate over immigration he perceives as "Latino bashing." The debate sparked large demonstrations earlier this year by Hispanics opposed to Republican-sponsored legislation to beef up border security.

"Even if the stock market hits a new high, most of the people don't feel it," said Pacheco, who was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. "(Congressional leaders) are more interested in the rich than the poor or the middle class."

Immigration was just one of the issues that turned Marta Sala, a Cuban-American from Teaneck, N.J., away from Republicans this year.

Events in Iraq have also taken a toll on Sala, who initially supported going to war but no longer does after learning the country did not have weapons of mass destruction as the Bush administration had claimed in making its case for war.

"So many youths are being killed there," she said. "And what was the real motive for going to war?"

Republicans and Democrats say they are trying to reach voters like Sala by speaking to them in their native language about all kinds of issues.

Democrats note that they're using the same six talking points with Hispanics and others alike: national security, jobs and wages, energy independence, affordable health care, retirement security and college access.

"These are issues that matter to all Americans," said Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the Democratic Party. "We all want the same things."

Republicans hope to continue making inroads with Hispanic voters despite the backlash against conservative lawmakers for their position on immigration.

"We understand it's a tough issue, but the Republicans are trying do something about it," said Republican spokeswoman Hessy Fernandez. "Hispanics and Republicans share the same values of family and community and less taxes."