The dramatic shift in voting among mostly Hispanic border communities that began in 2020 could mean a red wave at the border in 2022. Recent polls show the trend continuing, with Hispanic voters now split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. That has alarm bells ringing for Democrats, who are in danger of losing one of their traditional constituencies. The liberal Nuestro PAC analyzed Latino voter turnout in the 2020 election and concluded it has "become blatantly clear the party has a 'Latino Vote' problem."
Specifically, the Nuestro PAC research found more than 50,000 new Latino voters in Hidalgo County who registered as Democrats but voted Republican. That doesn't bode well for a party counting on the rapidly growing Latino population to "turn Texas blue."
The shift is less surprising to those who live and work in border communities. Adrienne Pena-Garza, chair of the Hidalgo County Republican Party, says most Hispanics are conservative at heart. "They value freedom, prosperity, better paying jobs, opportunities, keeping God in schools, and patriotism is also very important," she tells KTRH.
"Removing the Ten Commandments from the state capitol is an example of something that really upset the Hispanic community," Pena-Garza continues. "Things like that that affect their families, their faith, and of course, their freedom."
Another huge factor pushing more Hispanics toward the GOP is the ongoing surge of illegal immigrants at the southern border, and Democrats' seeming indifference to it. "Hospitals are congested, and so you have a situation where Americans here on the border are needing care, and the system is just overwhelmed with illegals," says Pena-Garza.
Ultimately, Pena-Garza believes the shift isn't so much about Hispanics becoming Republicans, but wanting to be seen as individuals and not taken for granted as a voting bloc. "(Hispanics) have come to a point where they're less likely to vote for a party, and more likely to vote for someone who when they look in their eyes, they trust them," she says. "So if Republicans continue to do that (one-on-one) work, they'll win elections."