Study shows 40% of Latinos are concerned Democrats are embracing socialism

A new study from Equis Research, a firm dedicated to better understanding the American Latino electorate, found over 40% of Latinos think Democrats are embracing socialist policies.

The study findings that indicate challenges for Democrats in upcoming elections considering Latinos, who accounts for roughly 1 in 8 eligible U.S. voters, are a significant part of the party's voter base and include many who came to the U.S. to try to escape the socialist governments of their former countries.

The study also indicated that as Latinos become more assimilated into American society and culture, their concern about socialism only increases. According to the report, 59% of fourth-generation Latinos are concerned about socialism, compared to 45% of recent immigrants.

Latinos are willing to vote for GOP candidates because of alignment on the issues that strike them as most important, primarily the economy. Fear of socialism therefore encapsulates a variety of issues being embraced by the Democratic Party, including high taxes, unrestrained social spending and increased government control over the lives of its citizens.

Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long advocated for a Latino embrace of GOP policies because they "just make sense for working families."

Specifically, he told ADN America, that means "safer communities, more involvement from parents in their kids' education, bringing good jobs back to America, defending people of faith. These are the things that matter to normal people."