Phoenix ? Six rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, courting the large and growing Hispanic community Saturday, promised to overhaul the nation’s immigration policy and enlarge economic opportunities for newcomers.

“We need to change our immigration laws so that hardworking people who pay their taxes and have no criminal record have a faster track to citizenship,” said former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. “Most importantly, we need jobs and opportunity again, and that will only come with a new president.”

Dean and the others spoke to a convention of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, which represents a constituency that has been reliably Democratic in past elections.

Democrats and Republicans alike, however, agree that the party cannot be complacent about next year’s campaign, because President Bush did better among Hispanics than previous Republicans in the 2000 election and has targeted the ethnic group as a key demographic in 2004.

Sen. John Edwards spoke of the tiny North Carolina town where he grew up, which he said was now half Hispanic. “They are living the immigrant’s dream,” Edwards said, and “they are living the American dream.”

Rep. Richard Gephardt told his audience that he helped beat back English-only legislation and pledged to work overtime to bolster turnout among potential Hispanic voters.

“We have to get the people of this country to participate and take this country back,” said Gephardt, D-Mo.