It may seem like a distant memory, but the new year rang in with an image that echoed across both English and Spanish-speaking worlds: that of American armed forces executing the stunning capture of Venezuelan despot Nicolás Maduro. From New York to Orlando, people took to the streets in support of President Trump’s actions. Celebrations of Venezuelans were met at times by counter-protestors, many of them white, denouncing the U.S. military operation and voicing tacit support for the Maduro regime.
Within the key Hispanic voter electorate, surveys showed overwhelming approval of the actions. This should command the attention of Republicans. It was these very voters who were so pivotal in 2024 and will determine control of Congress for the latter half of President Trump’s second term. And we can do more as a party to win them over.
It’s an established fact that the swing among non-white, working voters – especially Hispanics – was instrumental in Trump’s reelection and the GOP’s narrow congressional majorities. My home state of Pennsylvania was the only state to flip two congressional districts from Democrat to Republican without redistricting, both with significant Hispanic populations, and the sole swing state to flip a U.S. Senate seat. My team conducted the only outreach to these voters across the state. We witnessed the impact on the ground firsthand.
Since then, surveys and anecdotal evidence indicate a significant retraction among Latino voters – followed by at least some evidence of a “dramatically changed” positive swing since January. Republicans who want to notch more wins need to center these voters in our policies and messaging.
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