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Frederica Freyberg:
The razor thin margins of Wisconsin elections mean neither political party can take any voter for granted. Leading up to the midterms, Democrats and Republicans are making their appeals to Hispanic and Latino voters with more than just speaking a few lines of Spanish at a rally, but with expensive and labor-intensive door-to-door campaigns. Marisa Wojcik brings us the story.
Helder Toste:
Hola, buenas tardes.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz:
The Latinx vote is very important and it’s been very critical in Wisconsin in the last major races in 2018 and 2020.
Marisa Wojcik:
Like every election season, campaigns are getting out and talking to voters. But this year’s midterm elections have a particular focus on the Hispanic and Latino vote in Wisconsin.
Benjamin Marquez:
Outreach has been shown to make a big difference, especially door-to-door campaigns.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz:
We decided to start mobilizing the Latinx vote.
Marisa Wojcik:
Christine Neumann-Ortiz is the director and founder of Voces de la Frontera, an organization advocating for immigrants and low wage workers and an arm of their organization endorses candidates.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz:
Candidates that stand with us on the issue of immigrant racial justice, workers’ rights, and education rights.
Marisa Wojcik:
For Voces, those candidates have been Democrats. And historically Hispanic and Latino voters have favored this party.
Benjamin Marquez:
They vote for the Democrats and it’s been pretty consistent.
Marisa Wojcik:
Benjamin Marquez is a political science professor specializing in Chicano and Latino studies.
Benjamin Marquez:
The Democrats have to have a good strategy for reaching out to Latino voters. They have to make contact on the ground. They have to convince them that the election is important, that their vote matters, and that they should go to all of this trouble to get out and vote for a party that oftentimes it doesn’t deliver.
Marisa Wojcik:
When Democrats don’t deliver, support for them isn’t guaranteed.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz:
In 2020, we actually had a drop off of Latino participation compared to 2016. People didn’t want to just reject Trump. Latinos, like other voters, want to know, what do you offer? What is the change that you offer?
Marisa Wojcik:
Enter Republicans.
Rick Scott:
Hispanic voters have been, basically, been taken granted by Democrats.
Marisa Wojcik:
Florida Senator Rick Scott chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee and launched the Operacion Vamos campaign in nine battleground states.
Benjamin Marquez:
They have to get all Latino votes to win elections. They just have to get enough to deny the Democrats an election.
Marisa Wojcik:
Conservatives believe they have more to offer based on the top issues for Hispanic and Latino voters.
Benjamin Marquez:
Number one is jobs. Number two is jobs. And that’s number three as well.
Rick Scott:
It’s their livelihood, it’s their faith, it’s their kids, and it’s the safety of their communities what they are focused on.
Marisa Wojcik:
Republicans have a few strategies in their campaign. The first is on issues. At the doors in south Milwaukee, Helder Toste doesn’t need to prompt anyone about candidates, elections, or even the Republican Party, he simply asks, what’s most important in their lives?
[ speaking in language other than English ]
Gaudencia Ruiz:
They haven’t done anything and there are a lot of accidents here on this road. Cars drive fast like it was a freeway and, truly, it’s dangerous. They come out to play and suddenly the ball goes. And a car is going by and it’s very serious, very dangerous.
[ speaking in language other than English ]
I have a son who is hyperactive in a special class and they got rid of all of his help in the special classes in public school.
Juana Grimaldo:
Assaults, shootings, robberies, it’s increased a lot. More than anything, it’s safety because sometimes you’re seeing what is happening and you start to worry about your children.
Marisa Wojcik:
The second strategy points a finger at the party currently in power.
Helder Toste:
Do you think the president has done his job? Good job? Or bad job?
Juana Grimaldo:
A bad job because he hasn’t accomplished what he promised.
Benjamin Marquez:
They need results more than they need party loyalty.
Marisa Wojcik:
And finally, perhaps most essential, you have to show up.
Helder Toste:
You’ve lived here for 20 years, has a political party ever called you or contacted you?
Juana Grimaldo:
Nothing.
Helder Toste:
And where do you think that comes from?
Juana Grimaldo:
Well, truly because we’re Mexicans. They don’t pay attention to us.
Rick Scott:
Hispanic voters are way more inclined to vote Republican, as long as Republicans reach out to and talk to them. Hispanic voters are fed up with the public school system around the country right now. They want a better economic market. They don’t want to see inflation. They want to live in safe communities. If we talk about those issues, then we are going to win elections.
Marisa Wojcik:
One issue that may seem counter intuitive for Hispanic and Latinos to support Republicans on is immigration. Maria in Racine says immigration is the most important issue for her and why she’s a Democrat.
Maria Castaneda:
It is something that hurts because we came the same way. We got lucky but we are the same.
Marisa Wojcik:
Marquez says this tie to the immigrant identity has been shown to fade over time.
Benjamin Marquez:
With each succeeding generation of Latinos living in the United States, the further away they get from that, and so the Latinos that voted, you know, voted for Donald Trump and his anti-immigration policy, saw what border enforcement was, and heard about, you know, how immigrants are being treated, but they look at that and say, well, that is not me.
Marisa Wojcik:
Even Maria says one of her children is Republican.
Maria Castaneda:
Most of them are Democrats. I know my oldest is not.
Marisa Wojcik:
That’s not to say the Democrats don’t still hold the advantage.
Benjamin Marquez:
Two out of three Latino voters see the value in a large social welfare state, civil rights protection, and they are willing to pay for these things.
Marisa Wojcik:
The Hispanic and Latino population has been one of the fastest growing in the United States, making this shifting voting block all the more crucial.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz:
For the last 30 years in Wisconsin, Latinos have been the largest segment of growth.
Benjamin Marquez:
About half, if not more now, of all Wisconsin dairy workers are Latinos so they are filling the void that resulted from rural depopulation.
Marisa Wojcik:
In a state like Wisconsin where elections are famously close, campaigns are trying to reach every community, every voter, or every person who knows a voter.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz:
There is a generation of children of undocumented parents who are turning 18 every year that is significant. 11,000 in 2020 turned 18, eligible to vote for the first time whose parents are undocumented. In a state where the margin is 18,000 to 23,000, that’s, you know, that’s decisive. But if they feel that the Democrats are not doing enough, then they feel like dropping out.
Marisa Wojcik:
In essence, turnout matters.
Rick Scott:
But we have to show up. Republican candidates have to show up and we have to talk to voters, all voters.
Benjamin Marquez:
If they make an inroad into the Latino population, they’ve got a winning formula.
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