Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair says Dems can’t take Hispanic voters for granted

PHILADELPHIA — Rep. Raul Ruiz, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Democrats can’t take any voters for granted this November, including Hispanics, who have increasingly turned towards the GOP.

Mr. Ruiz, California Democrat, acknowledged the gains Republicans have made within the Hispanic voters but said he was confident about early outreach efforts his party is making with voters of color.

Mr. Ruiz also said the data on how many Hispanic voters moved to Republicans is “inconclusive” and is still a far smaller share than the support Democrats have garnered from the voting bloc.

“There were some gains percentage-wise in different areas throughout the country with Hispanics voting along GOP lines, but they started with such a small population compared to the Democratic vote,” Mr. Ruiz told reporters. “The biggest lesson that we’ve been trying to shout from the rooftops is not to take the Hispanic community for granted.”

Mr. Ruiz said the COVID-19 relief and the bipartisan infrastructure bill were wins for Democrats that have helped Hispanic communities.

Republicans have been seeking to capitalize on gains made within the Hispanic community in the 2020 presidential elections.

Former President Donald Trump outperformed his 2016 campaign among Hispanic voters, getting one in three Hispanic voters nationwide, according to exit polling by The New York Times.

The Republican National Committee has been making outreach efforts to Hispanic communities and other minority groups that traditionally vote Democrat.

Mr. Trump, who remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party, cited the GOP’s anti-socialism message that helped flip some Hispanic voters away from the Democratic Party.

“It’s a whole different Republican Party now because of [them,]” Mr. Trump said recently on the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s podcast, “The Red Zone.”