Here in Harris County, maybe, but I don’t see any movement toward getting them to start Hispanics voting for Democrats. Democrats need to pray that Trump and his goons continue terrorizing the Hispanic community and that the economy stays in the dump.
The Republican Party has been working to get Hispanics to vote Republican since George W. Bush.
“But I will say this about George W. Bush, he is the first presidential nominee that when he thinks about minorities, he thinks Mexican-American — just like the affinity (former President Bill) Clinton had with blacks,” Guerra said.” Source
Rick Perry did his part:
Governor Rick Perry actively tried to woo Hispanic voters, employing specific policy stances and appointments he believed would appeal to the community. However, his efforts yielded mixed results and were challenged by other policies and national party shifts.
Courting Efforts and Strategies
- In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants: One of Perry’s most significant actions was signing the Texas DREAM Act (HB 1403) into law in 2001, which allowed undocumented immigrants who grew up in Texas to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. He defended this policy during his presidential campaigns, arguing that educating these students was important for the state’s future, a stance considered moderate at the time and popular with many Hispanic families and Texas business leaders.
- Hispanic Appointments: Perry frequently highlighted his record of appointing Hispanics to high-level positions in Texas government, including the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Texas Supreme Court, Eva Guzman, and the first Hispanic woman to serve as Secretary of State, Hope Andrade. He presented this as a sign of his commitment to the Hispanic community.
- Economic Message: Like many Republicans, Perry emphasized Texas’s strong job growth and financial performance during his tenure, believing that the Hispanic community, which was growing rapidly, would be receptive to his pro-business message.
- Outreach Appearances: He made appearances before groups like the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and the National Council of La Raza, where he touted his economic achievements and appointments
What do Democrats do? They find a Hispanic to run for specific positions and call it Latino outreach. Vote for me; soy hispano. Democrats will have to do a lot better if they are going to convince Hispanic voters in Harris County to become Democrats.
Thank God for Trump, who may be able to cultivate Hispanic voters for years to come. Because of his ignorance and selfish desires, Hispanics may open their eyes for maybe one or two elections. Still, if the Democrats want to keep their Hispanic eyes open, they’d better start with a better message that includes more than LGBTQ rights. In fact, I noticed that Alejanda Salinas removed the part where she seemed to be only concerned about gay kids. That is a step in the right direction.
The following is from a recent poll in Texas.
The poll illustrated some of the challenges both parties will face going into the 2026 elections. Nearly half of the Latino electorate voted for the first time in the last four years, representing a constant churn of new voters. Roughly three-fourths, or 73%, of the 400 registered Latino voters surveyed in the poll said they would “almost certainly” or “probably” turn out to the polls in 2026. In contrast, 22% were on the fence about voting in the next election.
“Yesterday’s preferences and allegiances aren’t necessarily tomorrow’s,” Shaw said.
It also indicates Republicans and Democrats will both need to work to win the support from Texas Latinos after Trump won many Democratic strongholds in the Rio Grande Valley. It’s particularly salient as Republicans look to fill newly-redrawn House seats with new GOP faces.
“These sort of inspirational, vague statements that we hear from the Democrats, but also even from the Republicans, just aren’t selling anymore,”
The Houston Chronicle is finally realizing that Hispanics may even become a source of readers, after all, many know how to read in English, and some of us even know how to speak English.
If Harris County Democrats don’t know how to transform Hispanics into reliable voters for Democrats, then Texas is doomed to be a haven for Republicans for the immediate future.
Why am I using Hispanic? Because I don’t want some idiot to add an X at the end of Hispanic.