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THE ROUNDTABLE
Following the 2020 elections, there was plenty of evidence of Republican Party inroads with Latino voters. This fall’s midterm elections will be yet another test of whether those gains will continue. A few weeks ago, The Recast talked to Latino Democrats in Illinois, who said the Republican gains with this bloc are marginal at best.
In the neighboring state of Wisconsin though, even a marginal political shift to the right among Latinos could be detrimental to Democrats, as they are now the largest minority group in the state.
Are the Republican efforts paying off in Milwaukee, a Democratic bastion with a sizable Hispanic population? POLITICO’s Minho Kim spoke with Marty Calderon, an evangelical pastor who spent years building Latino support for conservatives, and Veronica Diaz, a church organizer and a former Republican candidate for Wisconsin House in 2019.
THE RECAST: What turned you to the Republican Party? What’s the appeal of the party to Latino voters?
DIAZ: A lot of Latinos have voted [Democrat] based on how their parents voted, not for values they were passionate about: faith, family, education and hard work. I had hard-working parents who busted their tail for little money. They wanted to be a role model for us, so that we work hard, go to school and create our success. [I did that] for myself, and I know it can work for everyone else.
CALDERON: For many years, I had been addicted to drugs. But the connection I made with God changed my life. [As a pastor,] I remind those who come to my door that they can change their lives, be held accountable and turn things around. I’m about working with everybody, but there are things I stand strongly for. I’m pro-life; I am for families. I believe in school choices and that we need to work and earn our wages.
THE RECAST: Are Latino voters in the city swinging more favorably toward the Republicans?
CALDERON: Yes. Milwaukee has been a Democratic city for so long. People are tired of same-old politics. Conservative Latinos who had been challenged by their friends and families are now coming out and speaking for themselves. The community never sees [politicians] again, [after] you come out to vote. [That’s why] turnouts are horrible. Democrats need to be held accountable for preaching one message and then doing something different. Democrats talk about [reducing] gun violence, but they need to be here to do it. People want those who keep their message strong and truthful.
DIAZ: I think [Republican support] is going to grow. We're voting Democrat, but we're poor, have more crime and have less companies wanting to come into the city. So I'm happy to see more Republican presence. They have an office now: RNC Hispanic Community Center in the heart of the South Side of Milwaukee. There was an RNC tent at Fiesta Mexicana, letting people know about their candidates. Latinos get to open their eyes about the Republican party [at] events like that.
