Spanish speakers have a distinct advantage in the workplace, able to converse openly with Anglophones and Hispanophones, which allows for connections to a larger customer-base. The same is true of Political candidates who intend to beckon the interests of Latino voters.

Spanish-speaking candidates who are able to correspond with the budding Hispanic population are at a distinct political advantage; State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) can attest to that. When she took the stage during the announcement for her run for lieutenant governor, she elegantly flowed between English and Spanish. She stated in both languages that many believed that she would not be able to become lieutenant governor, perhaps because she is from the barrio. Van de Putte is the only candidate running for the top two slots on the state ticket to be a native Spanish-speaker, which gives her an edge when trying to seize the highly sought-after Latino vote.

"There is a sense that when a Hispanic candidate can speak in Spanish, you're talking in-group," said Democratic consultant James Aldrete. He then added that it helps to create confidence between candidate and constituents. "Spanish shows shared experiences, and politically, as cliché as it sounds, it says, 'I'm one of you.'"

Now the nation's largest minority groups, Latinos have begun to demand candidates who can speak to them, not at them. The politician with the ability to connect in Spanish, or to participate in Spanish debates, tend to dominate, particularly in Latino-heavy states such as Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and New Mexico.

Van de Putte's potential competitor Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst isn't a native Spanish-Speaker, but learned Spanish while working in Bolivia during the 1970s. He offered to debate Ted Cruz in Spanish during his failed grab for the U.S. Senate seat in 2012. Ted Cruz declined, stating that he isn't as fluent in Spanish as his Cuban father. Dewhurst interests Latinos because he is a non-Hispanic who took time to learn and communicate in a foreign tongue, even if the language was gained for professional reasons.  

In 2007, however, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the only Hispanic presidential candidate, was asked to refrain from exhibiting Spanish-speaking skills. Questions were asked and answered in English, and translated into Spanish for the network's TV, radio and online media.

Spanish-language campaigns are important because they extend information to a demographic that tends to be under-informed and often doesn't vote. The defeated language barrier draws the large Latino community, which enables them to help make important decisions.