Gallup: More than half of Hispanics identify as Democrats

More than half of all Hispanics are likely to identify as Democrats, more than twice the amount who call themselves Republicans, a survey released by Gallup on Monday found.

Of those surveyed, 51 percent of Hispanics identify or lean Democrat, while just 24 percent say they identify or lean Republican. An additional two in 10 say they are political independents. That gap far outpaces the 45-41 percent advantage held by Democrats among all adults.

Democrats hold their two-to-one advantage across all age cohorts, including the crucial 18-34 year old bracket. Young Hispanic adults make up nearly half the Hispanic voting population and will be casting ballots for generations to come. By contrast, Republicans hold a 44-41 percent advantage among white voters ages 18-34, while Democrats hold a 75-11 percent edge among young black voters.

"Gallup’s data indicate that this picture is not going to get any brighter for the Republicans on its own, merely by virtue of generational shifts," pollster Andrew Dugan said in a release. "Despite the higher rate of U.S. nativity among young Hispanics compared with those 35 and older, young Hispanic adults are just as entrenched in the Democratic Party, thus perpetuating the high degree of difficulty Republicans face in trying to make inroads in this important and growing community.”

Democrats have increased their lead with Hispanics in recent years, likely due President Obama's push for Hispanic voters through the election.

"In January 2012 -- well before the November election -- 29 percent of Hispanics saw themselves as Democrats. This spiked to 38 percent in November, before falling slightly to 36 percent in December," Dugan said.

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