Hispanics saying 'adios' to Democratic Party

After the 2020 presidential election, it’s evident that more and more Hispanics are taking a right turn. They are leaving the Democratic Party in droves as they realize their values are more aligned with those of Republicans — a core value system of family, faith and freedom.

I once called myself a Democrat, but as I recognized that party was heading down a more progressive path, I, too, became a Republican.

As I lead the Republican Party’s voter registration team across New Mexico, we are witnessing more Hispanic families change their party affiliation to Republican. There’s an excitement and a vibrant hope in the eyes of new, young Hispanic voters registering as a Republican.

Many of our young volunteers like Xavier Chavez of Rio Rancho and Solomon Peña of Albuquerque have converted as this change becomes more prominent. The wave is here: At one Albuquerque event 36 Hispanics switched parties and registered Republican — all in just two hours.

This enthusiasm and the desire to embrace the Republican Party are spreading in New Mexico and around the nation.

President Trump can be largely credited for this exodus to the right. In 2020 Trump captured 32% of the Hispanic vote, 4% more than what he received in 2016. And even Democratic pollsters agree Hispanics have become less dependable to vote Democratic — becoming true swing voters. And the trend to vote Republican and feel comfortable in the GOP nest is growing.

Why?

Radical extremism. While for years Hispanics have voted Democratic, they don’t identify with the party or the direction it is going — further to the left. The propensity for Hispanics to vote Democratic is no longer happening.

Democrats are losing their hold on Hispanics. Democrats are taking them for granted. Hispanic communities are increasingly dissatisfied by the Democrats and feel disengaged.

The Republican Party, one of notable inclusion, embraces this and welcomes Hispanics to the GOP’s practical and sensible ideologies and traditional values. Now more than ever, Hispanics feel a genuine sense of belonging with the GOP. They identify with Republicans. Hispanics are fairly conservative on education and social issues, and they tend to be pro-gun and pro-life. Hispanics want lower taxes, religious freedom and school choice.

In 1984 President Reagan said “Hispanics are already Republicans. They just don’t know it.”

The Hispanic vote recently made a big impact in 2021 where Republicans won races in traditionally blue districts in Texas and Virginia. This vital voting block will make a difference in the 2022 midterms.

The sheer numbers tell the story. Hispanics make up the largest group of non-whites in the nation and comprise of nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population. Between 2008 and 2020, the Hispanic share of the electorate increased by about 30 percent, and this trend is expected to grow. Hispanic voters will be an integral part of New Mexico turning red and thus restoring traditional values that so many New Mexicans love about our great state.

Leticia Muñoz is on the executive committee of the Republican Party of New Mexico.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Hispanics saying 'adios' to Democratic Party