By Margaret Ramirez
Tribune staff reporter

When Republican presidential candidates John McCain or Mike Huckabee need advice on the nation's surging Latino evangelical vote, there is one man to call: the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez.

The young California pastor serves as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, making him the link to nearly 18,000 Latino evangelical churches and some of the most prominent pastors in the country. In recent weeks, his constantly ringing cell phone and packed schedule has testified to his popularity among Republican and Democratic presidential contenders alike.

In 2004, the votes of Latino Protestants, which includes mainline denominations and the fast-growing evangelical population, showed strong support for President Bush. Since then, though, two developments have undermined that success: the failure of the White House to pass immigration reform and the willingness of Democratic presidential contenders to speak more openly about their faith.

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