Romanoff (left) and Coffman (right). Twitter, @jesusluis11.

President Obama’s delay on immigration policies has boosted the issue of citizenship to the forefront of many cities during the midterm Congressional races.  This is especially the case in Aurora, Colorado, where one in five residents is Latino.  Republican incumbent Mike Coffman and Democratic challenger Andrew Romanoff have to work hard in swaying the Latino vote to gain an advantage in the tight race.  

The two candidates appeal to the Latino community in similar ways.  Coffman began to learn Spanish during his campaign in hopes of making personal connections with the Latinos.  Romanoff appears frequently on Spanish radio talk shows and speaks Spanish that he picked up during his time in Central America.  

Redistricting in Aurora made the seat for the 6th district the most diverse and politically divided in the state.  This has forced Coffman to change his views on immigration and move more to the left.  Coffman introduced a plan for immigrants to obtain citizenship through military service, but has been criticized for taking an irresolute stance on such an issue.  Romanoff has been quoted on Spanish radio challenging Coffman, saying: “What this district deserves is consistent support for comprehensive immigration reform. And we haven’t gotten that. Not from this Congress and certainly not from this Congressman.”

But Romanoff has history of his own that could be detrimental to his campaign.  In 2006, he presided over a committee aimed at making it harder for undocumented immigrants to live and work in the state.  Romanoff explained that he headed the committee to ensure that the government wouldn’t impose strict legislation.

Members of the community, such as Rene Lerma and Gloria Salsedo described their frustration with the two parties. Lerma, who is undocumented and cannot vote, still regularly talks to his family members about the Congressional race because he realizes the effects that it could have on his life.  He explained that his family votes for Democrats because “Republicans scapegoat undocumented immigrants as freeloaders.”  

Salsedo talks about the other side of the spectrum: she is upset with how Democrats are not doing all they can to keep families from being split apart, so she is supporting the race's Republicans.  

On behalf of Coffman, Paulo Sibaja, the director of outreach to the Latino Community in Aurora, hopes that Latino voters see that President Obama hasn’t created much change and that the country needs new leadership.  “There is another alternative, let us [Republicans] fight for you,” Sibaja says.  

Latinos tend to vote Democratic, so it is Romanoff who really needs their support.  If Romanoff is unable to get Latinos to the polls, Coffman will have a better chance at holding the seat.