The continued rise in the number of Latino voters in Minnesota is showing how important it is for the parties and candidates to reach out to what is now the third-largest demographic group in the state.
But Rick Aguilar of the Republican-leaning Hispanic Assembly of Minnesota says some habits are hard to break in the political world.
"I think we're under-served here," he said. "They'll look at Latino votes and they'll say 'well, I think they're going to go Democrat.' They'll take advantage of that, and maybe not do the work we should be doing."
Ryan Perez of the Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action says Democratic candidates seem to be no different with their lack of outreach
"What we're seeing is a really large operation compared to the past," he said. "But it doesn't go far enough from either party."
Both Aguilar and Perez agree the top issue among Minnesota's Latino voters is the economy.
They also both believe their community can help swing elections that have a razor-thin margin, like this year.
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