Recently in Texas, Republican candidate Mayra Flores won a Congressional seat in a special election for the state’s 34th District. Eighty-five percent of that district is Hispanic and Democrats have represented the community for over 150 years. Until now.
Flores’ victory adds to the evidence of a voting shift in the Texas Hispanic community. In 2016, Hillary Clinton received 26% more votes than Donald Trump in the district for the presidential election, while Biden won the district by only 4% against Trump in 2020.
What Happened?
A fact well established among Latinos is that socialism destroys a country. Having Cuba and Venezuela as perfect examples of countries ruined by Marxism, Hispanics hate the Democrats’ flirtation with this ideology. Policies that tax the rich or establish free healthcare and housing are all too familiar with Venezuelans, as those kinds of policies resulted in destruction and tragedy in their home country.
Then we have Hispanics’ core values of family and religion, which are two values the Republican party proudly defends. Most Latin American movies, like Disney’s Coco or Encanto, are films centered on traditional family values. Religion is foundational for Latin Americans as most come from a Christian-Catholic or Evangelical background. That is why Latinos are repulsed when Democrats attempt to redefine religion and the nuclear family.
Because of the economic failures in Latin America, many Latinos understand why over-printing money is a bad idea. With experience on inflation, Hispanics are quick to reject massive government spending, such as Build Back Better. Many individuals in the Latin American communities are small business owners that oppose the Democrats’ idea of more regulations on small businesses. Since Hispanics came to America, running from ruined economies, they appreciate Republicans’ free market economy approach to financial policy.
In conclusion, Hispanics know the cartels and gangs tormenting people in Latin America. They know the danger of an open border better than most because they are familiar with the lawless kind of people that may cross over. Therfore, Latinos are unlikely to vote for politicians who continue to give cartels and gangs free access across the border into their communities.
Observing these aspects, it’s not difficult to see why the tide is turning. It is likely that the number of Hispanic Republicans will continue to increase. Ronald Reagan prophesied this more than thirty years ago when he said, “Latinos are Republican. They just don’t know it yet.”
