Republicans are on journey to prove to Californians that Republicans can win the minds and hearts of Latino voters.
Recent elections prove it’s possible. Take Andy Vidak, who won a state senate seat in a 60 percent Hispanic district, by talking about the needs of the community and finding common ground with Latino voters registered in a different party.
Another role model is David Valadao in the 21st Congressional District, who showed up, became part of his Latino community and talked about his principles.
Mario Rodriguez
He too was able to win his district with Latino support. That’s what the party has to do on a large scale.
In order to grow our party, we have to go where we haven’t been and talk to voters who haven’t heard from us. And the RNC has pledged to do just that.
The RNC is investing in resources and staff to strengthen opportunities to reach new voters. In California, the RNC hired a Hispanic state director to build a grassroots infrastructure, expand our electorate, engage with people at community events, and strengthen our ties with Hispanic Republicans.
The RNC’s efforts to engage directly with the Hispanic community are unprecedented. It’s a year-round, long-term engagement strategy. The ground game we are engineering is one that will outlast any one candidate or campaign.
From now on we don’t have to rely only on the work of individual campaigns. The RNC will lay the groundwork for campaigns at all levels—from the courthouse to the White House.
That doesn’t mean we can do everything. But we can start the conversation, so that when candidates step up to run, there’s an infrastructure already in place.
Showing up is the first step. But it’s not the only step. You have to offer voters a reason to join you.
And we have so many reasons. We are the only party that says protecting this generation doesn’t require robbing the next. We are the party that wants to give parents the choice to send their kids to better schools. We are the party that wants to strengthen families, lift up the vulnerable, champion the entrepreneur, and let Americans choose their own future.
And I can’t say it enough: we need to fix our broken immigration system. I hope everyone will keep working toward a solution that fixes the system and stays true to conservative principles.
For generations, Hispanics have made America a stronger, more diverse, more vibrant country. We’re going to fight for their votes—because we want to be the party that competes for every voter and never overlooks any American.
We want to be a party that is more inclusive and more welcoming—and engages with people in their neighborhoods and communities.
If we don’t, the other side just takes Hispanic voters for granted. And that’s not right. Hispanic voters deserve a party that’s going to fight to improve their lives along with the lives of every American. And the Republican Party will be that party.
Mario Rodriguez is the chairman of Hispanic 100.