FREDERICK – (WMAL) With this week’s repeal of English-only bylaws in Frederick County, the ever-growing Hispanic population throughout the DC Metro area is beginning to show its clout.

Over the last year, “There’s been an increase in the Hispanic population of about 1.3%,” said Jeanette Chapman, who works at the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. “That growth has occurred pretty much throughout the jurisdictions in the region. It’s not been isolated to one specific location.”

“It’s likely that most people are coming here for jobs. So the economy is somewhat driving the demographic changes, rather than the demographic changes driving the economy,” Chapman said.

And with that population change comes new-found influence, Chapman said.

“Anytime a particular set of people has had growth, that will then in turn be reflected in the politics,” she said.

Chapman noted the main drivers of demographic changes are often reflected in the health of the economy.

“We’ve had a relatively strong period during the recession, and that trickled off in 2013, so our migration patterns shifted then, too,” Chapman said. “These things are not always permanent.”

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