Many voters in Long Island’s minority neighborhoods have left the Democratic Party in the last decade to become independent voters, a data analysis by Newsday found.

Ten years ago, nearly 60% of Long Island voters in "majority-minority" districts were registered Democrats. Last year, that number dropped to about 50%, with a growing number of voters declaring themselves "unaffiliated" with any party.

"This has been a yearslong crisis in the making," said Ahmad Perez, founder and executive director of Islip Forward, a group working to grow voter registration in Brentwood. "These are pockets that have historically been the bedrock of Democratic turnout. … but Democrats are struggling to maintain relevance in working class and minority communities."

Meanwhile, voters in majority-white dis

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