Activists say Latinos, feeling the pressure of the recession and concerned about the effects of SB 1070, will flock to the polls and wield the influence of their numbers. This is not the first year activists have touted the voting potential of Latinos, who make up an estimated 31 percent of Arizona’s population. But political scientists and activists have differing views about whether this will be the year.

Sen. Sylvia Allen is slightly leading in the Republican primary race for the Senate in Legislative District 5, which encompasses a sprawling rural area in eastern Arizona.