PUEBLO, Colo. – The image: A stack of Colorado mail-in ballots falling onto the floor. The message: “Este es tu oder.,” says a woman’s voice, “This is your power.”
“The power to stop Republican Cory Gardner,” the female voice in the TV announcer says in Spanish, “who supports billionaire polluters that poison our air and water. The power to elect Democrat Mark Udall, who’s fighting to protect the health of our children.”
The announcer explains Colorado’s new main-in ballot system, then closes with, “Este es tu poder, Úselo.”
“This is your power. Use it.”
The ad, “Tu Poder,” sponsored by People for the American Way and NexGen Climate, is just one of many Spanish-language ads that popped up this fall in the Centennial State. .With the makeup of the Senate in question and incumbent Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall’s seat up in the air, the Latino and Hispanic voters in Colorado could wield considerable power on Election Day.
According to Lorena Chambers, chief strategist with Chambers Lopez Strategies LLC, the firm that produced “Tu Poder,” this year’s mid-term elections represent “the largest outreach to Latino voters ever in the history of U.S. campaigns.”
“The Latino electorate keeps growing,” she said in a phone interview, “and it is critical in deciding statewide elections, such as the one in Colorado.”
Chambers Lopez is a political strategy and marketing group based in Arlington, Va. It has produced Spanish-language ads supporting Democratic interests in Colorado during the course of this election.
Most of the Spanish ads on the airwaves in Colorado have been in support of Udall or Democratic causes, but his Republican challenger, Rep. Cory Gardner, released his first Spanish-language TV ad five days before the election to try to undo some of Udall’s work, according to the Denver Post.
The ad features Gardner with his family and interacting with constituents.
“Los políticos en Washington nos han decepcionado,” another woman’s voice says, “The politicians in Washington have deceived us.”
The voice says that Gardner will provide reliable leadership.
“Cory is a family man with two priorities,” the voice says in Spanish, “preparing our kids to be leaders and creating the jobs that our families need.”
“Cory Gardner knows that parents, not the government, should decide their children’s education.”
“And Cory will work to grow our economy today and in the future.”
The ad ends with the voice of the candidate himself:
“Soy Cory Gardner y apruebo este mensaje,” Gardner says, “I’m Cory Gardner and I approve this message.”