The recall election of California Gov. Gavin Newsom could open up a lane for Republicans to make more serious inroads in the state. And that starts with California’s Latino population.
Writing in the Atlantic, Christian Paz paints a picture of a mixed relationship. California Republicans aren’t doing a great job reaching out to Latino voters, especially with a notable lack of Spanish language outreach. But the party made gains in 2020, with former President Donald Trump winning over more Latino voters in Los Angeles and Orange County. Republicans were sent to Congress from California’s 25th District (40% Hispanic) and California’s 21st District (75% Hispanic).
The tools are all there. California is plagued by crime, poverty, homelessness, periodic energy issues, and high housing costs. There are no Republicans to blame for this: Democrats control every statewide office and hold a supermajority in the state Legislature. The California Democratic Party suffers an odd conundrum, in which candidates and politicians will come to a city like Fresno to show they care about the heavily Hispanic Central Valley, only to return to Sacramento and deprive the area of water as a favor to wealthy, white environmentalists.
Whether California Republicans can capitalize on this is another question. There is no statewide party leader, as evidenced by the mess of candidates vying to replace Newsom. The most prominent Republican in the state is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, whose central focus is on Washington, D.C. (as it should be). The California Republican Party is mostly focused on picking off House seats in a few sections of the state. A statewide effort to build the party would essentially have to be built from scratch.
But it is doable. Republicans can win over Latinos without abandoning conservatism. This has been the case in Florida, which has been established as a reliably red state, and Texas, which has staved off the demographic destruction that race-obsessives on the Right and Left had predicted. Sure, it will take a lot of work, but what else do California Republicans have on their calendar?
Clearly, the goal of the recall is to replace Newsom for his repeated failures as governor, amplified by destructive pandemic restrictions. But the more important long-term goal is building a party that can compete and win over voters across the Golden State. In a state that is nearly 40% Hispanic, it is clear where that path begins.
