PHILADELPHIA — Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Raul Ruiz asserted that the Democratic Party must work to retain and attract Latino voters as it fights to maintain its House majority in November.
The California Democrat noted Thursday night that while the GOP managed to win districts with large Hispanic populations, his own party has largely managed to maintain support within the Latino community. Still, Ruiz asserted that Democrats can’t take the Hispanic vote for granted.
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Republicans tout recent House wins that have cut into Democrats’ hold on Hispanic voters. That includes flipping two Miami-area seats in 2020. House Republicans are also eyeing several South Texas districts as pickup opportunities this November after former President Donald Trump increased his vote share in traditionally Democratic and heavily Latino areas on or near the U.S. border with Mexico.
“There were some gains, percentage-wise and absolute wise, in different areas throughout the country with Hispanics voting along GOP lines,” said Ruiz, whose Southern California House district runs from the Palm Springs region to the Arizona state line.
At House Democrats’ Pennsylvania retreat, Ruiz said “it is not conclusive” whether the gains the Republicans saw indicate a permanent change in party affiliation. Still, Democrats need to listen to Latino voters and not assume the party has their support.
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“It is not conclusive, and there is still a lot of work that we need to do,” Ruiz said in Philadelphia. “First thing, the biggest lesson that we’ve been trying to shout from the rooftops is not to take the Hispanic community for granted, that we need to make sure that we’re on the ground, that we listen.”
Ruiz added Democrats’ general issue set should dovetail with efforts to maintain support from Latino voters, as the party tries to hold on to its narrow House majority.
“Hispanic issues are American issues,” Ruiz said. “It is about education, it is about opportunity, it is about economics, it is about wages, it is about jobs, it is about healthcare, it is about retirement. And this is why we need to really send our messages throughout Hispanics in the entire nation in order for us to continue to win by a large margin the Hispanic vote.”
