Republican efforts to reach Latino communities in 2022 worked in California

Jack Birle

March 17, 02:32 PM March 17, 02:32 PM

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The Republican Party has attempted to make gains in the Latino community through various initiatives, and based on the 2022 election, it appears to be working.

A report from the left-leaning think tank Third Way shows the GOP made gains with Latino voters, despite voter turnout straggling in some areas.

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An analysis of 2022 election data showed that from the 36 seats decided by 5 percentage points or less, in 18 of them, the Latino population makes up at least 15% of the voting-age population. The party split on these competitive districts with a significant Latino population is fairly even, with 10 seats being held by Democrats and eight being held by Republicans.

The report also found that turnout lagged in Latino districts in some states, including Arizona, California, New York, and Texas, but that the results, especially in California, were positive for the GOP.

“Of the 36 competitive congressional districts decided by five points or less in 2022, five came from California and had highly concentrated Latino populations — and four of those five now have Republican incumbents,” the report said. “In short, California Democrats have a major challenge on their hands to address their shortcomings with Latino voters in these competitive races.”

The four Republicans who prevailed in the competitive districts with a sizable Latino population in the Golden State were Reps. David Valadao, John Duarte, Ken Calvert, and Michelle Steel.

Duarte and Valadao’s victories came in districts where the voting age population is at least 60% Latino.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Republican Party made significant gains in other parts of the country among the Latino population, per the report, with Florida having a 17.5 percentage point swing to the right from 2020 to 2022. The report blames a lack of investment in the Latino community on the Democratic Party and says it shows what happens when a party does not invest in Latino voters.

“Florida is a warning of what happens when there is complete abdication by Democrats to invest in Latino voters,” the report said.