Finalmente! GOP launches new Spanish Twitter account

That was the first tweet from the Republican House Caucus’ first official Spanish Twitter account, GOP Conferencia. Roughly translated, it reads “Welcome to the official website of Twitter of the Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives.”

In the account’s second tweet, it explains that its Twitter handle, @GOPespanol, does not use the Spanish letter ñ, because Twitter does not allow it.

While the Republican National Committee has already created a Twitter account and Tumblr specifically for Latinos, this is the first time that Congressional Republicans have used social media to target this growing segment of the population. It’s a sign that the party is listening to the calls of many conservatives for the GOP needs to increase its Hispanic outreach before it’s too late.

The Spanish Twitter account is only the caucus’ first step. It also plans on launching a Spanish language website in the near future, complete with Spanish translations of press releases.

“It’s a recognition that we, as Republicans, did not do as well as we hoped in the 2012 elections with a number of groups – with young people, with women, and with Hispanics,” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, (R-Wash.), Chair of the House Republican Conference told Latino Fox News.

Republicans performed poorly among Hispanics during the 2012 presidential election. Republican nominee Mitt Romney only carried 27 percent of the Hispanic vote, while President Obama won a whopping 71 percent of the Hispanic vote. Despite increased efforts by Republicans to win the Hispanic vote in 2012, Romney actually performed worse with the ethnic group than the party’s 2008 nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain.

“It’s being aware that [Hispanics] are a growing media market, a demographic in the country,” McMorris Rodgers continued. “We need to be reaching them with our goals, our vision.”

While Hispanics currently make up 17 percent of the U.S. population, the Pew Hispanic Center predicts the number of Latinos eligible to vote will actually double by 2030.

The House Republican Caucus’ Spanish Twitter account has only been alive for two days, but it already seems to be up and swinging. It’s even up-to-date on the GOP Twitter lingo. Hasta la vista #Obamaquester!