Grand Canyon Times

The GOP tweeted about Hispanic voters moving toward the Republican Party citing a Florida’s Voice article which features Carolina Castillo, a long time Democrat who now votes Republican. According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) piece, Hispanic voters are frustrated with the current administration’s economic policies and inflation, the border and a failure to provide a stable pathway to citizenship. The Hispanic vote is crucial for the upcoming midterm elections and some are seeing a drift away from the Democrats and toward the GOP.

“It is no surprise Hispanics are moving to the Republican Party. Democrats have proven time and time again to be out of touch and their values do not align with the Latino community,” the GOP tweeted on Aug. 24. 

In an article by Lydia Nasbum for Florida’s Voice, a previously “hardcore” Democrat voter Castillo details her switch to the GOP. She said she is frustrated with Democrats saying one thing and doing the other. On social issues, Castillo said, “Hispanics are mostly conservative. We are traditional, we love family and God. The radicalization of the Democrat party has turned off Hispanics and it’s responsible for helping Hispanics register Independent and Republican.” 

On crime and the border, Castillo is unhappy with Democrat solutions and is advocating for more border patrol agents and perhaps the National Guard. Castillo identifies as pro-women and pro-LGBTQ rights but says her values do not align with the Democrat party: “The party is unrecognizable. They’ve all been radicalized,” Castillo said. “So I had to leave. They don’t represent my values.”

When Juan Gonzalez, representing the Biden administration, spoke with socialist President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela asking for oil, Castillo, a Cuban immigrant, called it a “betrayal to Latinos.” She added, “We take these issues seriously in South Florida. Plus, Democrats are doing away with basic social and economic freedoms that we should have as Americans.” 

According to the WSJ, Latino voters who might have voted blue in 2020, are turning more toward voting for Republicans in the upcoming midterms. The WSJ reports that the fastest growing population of voters is Latinos, with more than 10% of the vote in 2020 and continuously growing. Working-class Latinos are moving away from the Democrat Party, specifically because they are not happy with President Joe Biden's policies and do not feel aligned with the Democrat Party any longer.

The WSJ found that working-class Latinos switched over to the Republican Party by 11 points comparing the “economic boom” under the Trump administration compared to inflating and rising costs under the Biden administration. The WSJ reports that many Latino voters are frustrated with Democrat promises that do not come to fruition. Many Latinos support strict border security laws, in order to protect against the influx of illegal drugs and human trafficking. Those seeking citizenship do not see Democrat policies as the solution, according to the Journal. Mike Madrid, a political consultant focusing on Hispanic-voting agreed with Carlos Odio, co-founder of Equis Research, a Democratic-aligned firm, that a shift is happening among Latino working-class voters from blue to red. This is caused mainly by Democrats not following up on economic promises which Odio says “should really give Democrats the most pause here.”

According to an op-ed from the Washington Examiner, Texas Hispanics are moving toward the Republican Party because of the current administration’s border policies. A Texas Tribune poll found that 57% of Texas Hispanics and 60% of South Texas Hispanics want more border security, according to the op-ed. The op-ed blames Biden’s removal of the Remain in Mexico policy that has led to a record number of illegal crossings. The Texas Tribune poll also found that 61% of Texas Hispanics are “bothered by the direction” the Democrat Party has gone. The op-ed says, “As in the late 1960s, it (Democrat Party) is on a collision course with ethnic minorities who did so much to prop it up over the years in the mistaken belief that Democrats had something to offer working families.”

One example of Hispanics moving toward Republicans was the election of Rep. Marya Flores, a Trump-endorsed Republican, who was elected to Congress as the first Mexican-born woman in a special election in June. She represents Texas’ 34th District which is a historically Democrat district. The district voted blue in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. According to Ballotpedia, the district is 84.5% Hispanic. Flores is running again in the midterms.

According to Reuters, inflation is a top priority for Hispanic voters living in Arizona. Many are disappointed in Democrats’ attempt to fix rising costs and are willing to change their votes for Republicans. Jose L. Mendez has voted blue since 1988 but with inflation driving the cost of basic goods, he said, “Inflation has affected us a lot. I'm willing to change my vote.”