The signs were all there for Latinos to break for Republicans.
The signs were all there for Latinos to break for Republicans.
A re you surprised that Latinos pulled the lever for Republicans in higher numbers?
Don’t be. The signs were all there.
Several polls heading into Election Day showed Latinos swinging to the right, with some showing the GOP doing well in traditionally blue and purple areas of the country. Yes, there were obvious places such as Miami-Dade County, but there were signs that Republicans were competitive in places such as the 222 Corridor in central Pennsylvania — a critical swing state.
Party heads, the political establishment, and some in the legacy media struggled to understand the shift.
A fixation on the top of the ticket, Hispanic self-loathing, and misinformation were some of the most common reasons some used to help explain why Latinos were not voting for progressive candidates and supporting progressive policies.
Puh-lease!
For years, groups such as The LIBRE Initiative have been speaking from the rooftops about how Latinos are supportive of conservative policy solutions. Besides the many Latinos already sympathetic to conservative ideas, many other Latinos pulled the lever for Republicans in 2024 because they desperately wanted a change from the status quo.
Just a few short years ago, Latinos were thriving.
The national Latino unemployment rate was at a historic low. Latinos were buying homes and starting businesses at a record pace. The American economy was buzzing, and Latinos were among its chief beneficiaries.
Of course, this didn’t happen by accident.
It happened because Washington reduced the tax burden on millions of Americans and job creators under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act while easing the regulatory burden so the private sector could expand.
And then Covid hit.
The economy contracted. Millions lost their jobs or saw their hours reduced. People were hurting.
A new administration promised to get things right.
Their premise was grounded in the idea that by growing the size of government and opening its spending spigots, jobs and a booming economy would follow.
The reality was the complete opposite.
The federal government added trillions to our national debt, and yet those promised jobs failed to materialize. Worse, a dramatic spike in the national inflation rate followed.
Few Americans were spared the pain, but Latinos were particularly hard-hit. That’s because, on average, Latinos have less savings and use a larger share of their incomes on basic goods and services such as groceries and their rent or mortgages.
The polls confirmed what we all knew.
Earlier this year, The LIBRE Institute conducted a poll and found that Latinos were deeply dissatisfied with the direction of the country. The same poll found that a whopping 85 percent said inflation had negatively affected their quality of life. And although most Latinos continue to believe in the American dream, nearly 88 percent said it is a lot harder to achieve.
We are still digging through the numbers, but it’s clear based on preliminary evidence that Latino-heavy counties voted for a change. They include places such as Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa., which saw a significant shift from Democratic votes to Republican votes — in the all-important swing state of Pennsylvania.
Besides the economy, Latinos were also fed up with broken promises on other issues.
For years, Washington politicians have promised to fix our broken immigration system. Both political parties bear some of the blame for the inaction. Still, President Biden and Vice President Harris promised to sign an immigration bill in the first 100 days of their administration.
Instead of working with lawmakers, the Biden administration issued several executive orders that ranged from stopping the construction of a border fence to suspending a rule that required certain asylum seekers to seek refuge in Mexico first.
The result was predictable.
A huge surge of illegal immigration followed. By some estimates, the number is close to 5 million undocumented immigrants since President Biden took office.
Border cities, such as my hometown of Mission, Texas, have been dealing firsthand with the effects of illegal immigration for years, but as more and more undocumented immigrants made their way to big cities such as New York and Chicago, even progressive politicians who had been calling to abolish ICE and create sanctuary cities began crying uncle because of the effects of uncontrolled immigration.
Public polling spelled the obvious. The American people, including Latinos, were deeply dissatisfied with illegal immigration.
No one should have been surprised by this.
After all, Latinos support immigration and immigrants, but they also deeply value the rule of law and order. Latinos also support meritocracy, hard work, and equality of opportunity — not equality in outcome.
In 2024, Latinos — being one of the youngest and fastest-growing demographic groups — chose to turn the page from broken promises and economic malaise to a fresh start and pro-growth economic policies. And it was a repudiation of manufactured outrage and victimization. It was also the death of the monolithic Latino voting bloc.
Our sister organization, The LIBRE Initiative Action, engaged in several key senatorial races this cycle, including in Ohio, where Bernie Moreno was elected as its first Latino U.S. senator. Born in Colombia, Bernie is the embodiment to many Latinos of living out the American dream. LIBRE Action was proud to have mobilized Latino voters in this state.
Now it’s time for our newly elected officials to deliver for the American people — including the Latino community.