GOP’s Texas Ads Aim to Deter Latino Voters, 2 Democrats Say

Two Democratic congressmen on Thursday attacked Republican-sponsored advertisements on Spanish-language radio stations in Texas that they said were designed to intimidate Latino voters.

Rep. Jack Brooks of Texas asked Atty. Gen. Dick Thornburgh to investigate the advertisements for possible violations of the federal Voting Rights Act.

“A concerted effort is being made by Republican Party officials in Texas to inhibit Texas citizens’ exercise of their right to vote in next Tuesday’s general election,” Brooks said in a letter to Thornburgh.

Meanwhile, Rep. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, national Latino coordinator for the Dukakis-Bentsen campaign, called on Vice President George Bush to “put his ‘kinder, gentler nation’ rhetoric into practice by taking these clearly intimidating and racist ads off the air.”

Warnings on Illegal Voting

The Republican Party of Hidalgo County, a heavily Latino county along the lower Rio Grande, has launched an advertising campaign on Spanish-language radio stations warning listeners that “voting officials will be watching closely” and citing penalties for illegal voting.

Brooks said the radio ads are “an obvious attempt to hold down overall voter turnout among Spanish-speaking citizens by injecting an element of fear into the voting process.”

Brooks urged Thornburgh to begin “an immediate investigation of this matter to determine if there has been a possible violation” of federal voting rights laws. He also urged that the Justice Department “take appropriate steps to put an end to such activity.”

Responding to the letter, Justice Department spokesman Loye Miller said the U.S. attorney for the area would be asked “to look into the situation.” He said that, to the extent officials find any voter intimidation, “there will be a harsh response from the federal government.”