Latino Democrats vent their fury after foreboding special election loss in Texas

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Less than 24 hours after the GOP flipped a congressional district in South Texas, several Latino Democrats cornered their campaign chief on the House floor with a fervent plea: It’s time for the party to make a crucial course correction.

...snip...

“I hope the DCCC learns their lesson with this before it happens across the country,” said Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, who due to redistricting will face GOP Rep.-elect Mayra Flores this fall in a redrawn district.

“They have just forgotten about the brown people on the border,” Gonzalez continued. “And that’s basically what it is. I’m not going to try to sugarcoat it anymore. They are taking Latinos in South Texas for granted.”

When the House convened Wednesday afternoon, several members approached DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney. Democratic Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar, whose Texas districts are also predominantly Latino, were among them. Garcia said she requested a meeting next week and that Escobar, Gonzalez and fellow Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Joaquin Castro all plan to attend.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/15/latino-democrats-election-texas-00040057

[msongs]

1. if latinos wanna perpetuate republican family values that's their choice. when they are all deported

who will help them?

[brooklynite]

2. Here's the immense problem in your statement...

when they are all deported who will help them?

The Hispanic VOTERS that the Democrats are concerned about are CITIZENS. Almost all of them are Natural Born and have been here multi-generations. NOBODY will deport them.

The Democratic mistake is continually assuming that Immigration is the driving issue with Hispanic voters. It's not. They care about the same kitchen table issues that other voters care about.

[ripcord]

6. Many people forget that Hispanic voters tend to be socially conservative

[brooklynite]

7. And economically (small business) conservative,

[andricv]

11. Why do most vote Democratic then?

If a group were both economically and socially conservative, why would that group traditionally vote Democratic of the time?

[pstokely]

16. most?

even Cubans in South Florida?

[ancianita]

18. no, Cubans in South Florida would mean all

[andricv]

32. Do you know what "most" means?

When you add Cubans and Mexican Dominicans and every Hispanic group, you find that most of the total vote democratic. If you want to simply pretend all Hispanics are Cuban americans, then say so.

[Polybius]

29. Because of race

Many think Republicans favor whites.

[onetexan]

27. Older latinos are conservative. Younger ones are left leaning.

Problem is getting them out to vote.

[Raine]

14. Exactly. nt

[andricv]

8. Hispanic voters can't be deported

They're US Citizens.
Non-citizens aren't eligible to vote.

[EndlessWire]

34. How do you know that brown citizens can't be deported?

They can be deported to detention camps right here in the good ole USA.

We are in for a world of hurt if the GOP is allowed to resurge and reelect a Repub pResident. The only citizens who matter to them are White, Christian, Straight, Males who kiss the GOP ass. That's it. All else can be squeezed to death and deprived of their rights.

I suppose your comment is a hidden sarcasm. Just checking.

[andricv]

36. US Citizens cannot be deported, even if they're Hispanic

You're the only person who doesn't know that.

[EndlessWire]

37. You'd be surprised at what I know

the least of which is that you have failed miserably to understand the point I have made. People like you never see it coming.

[rso]

3. Texas

This is not as bad as it looked at first sight. The turnout was an amazingly low 7%, democrats spent almost nothing on the campaign, (while republicans poured big money), she’ll be a member of Congress for 5 months and then will have to run in a new +14 democratic district.

[brooklynite]

4. Except that...

DCCC doesn't necessarily have the cash to put in to the other Hispanic districts in Texas, and the fact that the Republican control will be temporary doesn't address why a seat that was easily won in the past wasn't won now.

[TexasTowelie]

12. Because the Democrats ran placeholder candidates that aren't on the November ballot

while Republicans ran a candidate that appears on both the special election ballot and the general election ballot in November. Democrats aren't going to turn out for a special election when there is only one race on the ballot. If Flores should win in November, then she will have seniority (and preferential committee assignments) over any other Republican that is elected for the first time in November.

While both the Democrats and the GOP fielded two candidates, the vote among the Democrats was more evenly split than what happened in the GOP where Flores won substantially over her GOP opponent.

There is also the issue of voter fatigue--there were municipal elections in early May along with the primary runoffs on May 24. Asking voters to show up three times within about 5 weeks is a stretch.

I would be alarmed about the results of this race if Flores had faced Gonzalez in a mano a mano battle.

Hopefully my reply addresses some of the "whys" you expressed.

[MichMan]

13. Why run a "placeholder" candidate ?

and cede incumbency in the November election?

[TexasTowelie]

15. A variety of issues, including timing and that Vicente Gonzalez currently holds office.

The 34th CD did not become vacant until March of this year when Vela abruptly resigned to take a lobbyist job. Everyone expected Vela to remain in office to serve out his elected term and retire, including Gonzalez. Gonzalez decided to run for the 34th CD because the 15th CD (where Gonzalez is the incumbent) was gerrymandered in the last legislative session to make it more favorable towards a GOP candidate.

If Gonzalez ran in the special election for the 34th CD, then he would have to resign his current seat and risk not being in Congress for the next five months if he lost the special election. The general election for the 34th CD will now be between two sitting Congressmen, Flores and Gonzalez.

In addition, a resignation by Gonzalez from the 15th CD would have also created the need for another special election for that district which would largely favor the GOP candidate so the Republicans could have picked up two seats instead of one.

[Retrograde]

5. 7% turnout looks pretty bad to me

Democrats are not good at getting the base out for anything other than presidential elections - Republicans are. Looking at the results from the recent California primaries, turnout tends to be higher in Republican-leaning counties than in the Democratic ones (although San Francisco managed to get a 46% turnout - probably because of the recall - that wasn't as high as some of the rural counties)

I don't know how to get more people out - in my state we do everything but fill in the ballot for voters and still people can't be bothered. Maybe Democrats need an emotionally charged issue or two, like Republicans, to get focused voters to the polls.

[appalachiablue]

28. This. Appeal to voters on 2 or 3 primary issues that they're

interested in and understand. Keep it basic, clear and hammer it home. The rest can come later. Don't over complicate the message, people are busy, distracted and juggling a lot of issues.

When you're selling sausage, don't bore the listeners with minutia about how it's made.

>" Maybe Democrats need an emotionally charged issue or two, like Republicans, to get focused voters to the polls".

Some years back when it came out that most Americans don't have $400.00 in savings to afford a brake job on their car if needed, the story went all over and was repeated by politicians, high- level business executives and the media.

It was an issue that millions could relate to, the truth and highly effective in reaching people.

[ZonkerHarris]

9. "We're going to invest heavily in every seat we think we can win." -Steny Hoyer

and that is why we lose shit like this and why we don't have a bigger majority.
Because we don't fight tooth and nail for EVERY GODDAMN SEAT IN THE HOUSE.
We only fight where we think we can win?
That's not what the Republicans are doing
They just spent a shit load a flipped seat they never win
f'n ridiculous comment from Hoyer

[SouthernDem4ever]

17. We also don't have huge propaganda outlets on radio

that purge cognitive thought of millions on a daily basis and unlimited dark money funds propping it all up.

[Demsrule86]

21. I really don't know anyone...GOP or Dem that listen to the radio anymore...and the ones that

do are old...there are podcasts of course and we can compete with podcasts...no need for radio stations or a great deal of money.

[Wuddles440]

23. Disagree!

Despite all the technological advances and media options, terrestrial radio programming still plays a significant role especially in rural areas and with those engaged in blue collar professions. Conceding the AM radio airwaves to right wing programming was a major factor in converting many previously blue communities to red.

[texasfiddler]

25. Walk around any home being built in South Texas and you will hear a radio.

All of the white business trucks with plumbers, electricians, farmers, welders, pipeline workers have radios tuned in. The older guys make sure the newer apprentices are listening. I will hear it today. I have to disagree.

[EndlessWire]

35. Old people can be Grey Panthers...n/t

[ZonkerHarris]

30. Do your excuses mean we should give up?

[SouthernDem4ever]

33. No I don't think we should give up

Maybe I'm trying to get the attention of liberals with the means to prop up a radio like Air-America until it catches on just like the Cons did from the late 70's through today. Mush Limbo wasn't profitable when he first started but someone financed it.

[Demsrule86]

22. That is true...but sometimes money is an issue...how many here have heard our folks say

'no money to the DNC' until XYZ happens...you have to support your party with money and by voting or you will lose in the end. I am so incredibly sick of the constant blackmail...if We don't get XYZ voters won't turn out...well then those voters are the problem...and we better find better more reliable voters and adjust accordingly which would undoubtedly mean moving to the middle. As a progressive, I don't want to do that but as a Democrat, I fear we may have to in order to win elections if this continues.

We should already be pursuing a 50-state strategy and not 'deciding' on who to support. Also, the head job at the DNC should be based on electoral experience and is not a trophy to be handed out to those we want to reward. I like Jaime Harrison, and he is a great fundraiser. But he does not have the experience for the job. I truly dislike how we pick someone for this job. I would prefer that it be decided by the head of the party...which would be the president when we hold the office. We need someone like Howard Dean.

[TexasTowelie]

10. I've been saying for months that all three south Texas congressional districts held by Democrats

are vulnerable to being flipped. The race between Gonzales and Flores will be much closer than most predict. Gonzalez has the reputation of being the least intelligent of the three Democrats that represented south Texas (Vela, Cuellar, and himself). Most of the counties in the 34th CD were previously in the 27th CD which eventually elected Blake Farenthold over veteran congressman Solomon Ortiz. If Flores manages to generate some positive publicity for herself over the next few months, then I won't be surprised by the election day results.

[Demsrule86]

19. The Latino Democrats I know here in Cleveland are not liberal/progressive. They tend to

be moderates...we need to reach out to everyone in all 50 states.

[Wuddles440]

24. Off topic...

but as a fellow Ohioan, I'm just curious as to your opinion regarding the ads that Tim Ryan is running in the race for Portman's seat?

[Demsrule86]

20. The 'Brown' People comment is just plain wrong. The ones here don't want the

illegal immigration at the border. Like many immigrants before them, they want to shut the door behind them. Clearly, if immigration were the issue, they would not vote for Republicans who are awful on this issue. And the ones I know are strong Catholics and very religious. As hubs and I have said for years, if the GOP were nicer to the Latina population, they would likely be lean towards Republicans...rather conservative religious people...the ones I have met.

[Elessar Zappa]

38. Actually, most Catholic Mexican-Americans

are still solid Democrats. It’s mostly the evangelical Latinos (who are now 40% of the Latino population) that are now overwhelmingly Republican. At least that’s the case here in New Mexico.

[betsuni]

26. I still don't understand the DCCC and DNC taking for granted/complacent/ignoring thing.

The U.S. is a huge country. Democrats don't have the funds Republicans do. Are they expected to knock on every door in America? What are Republicans doing that's so great and not taking anyone for granted or ignoring them? Why the insinuation that Democrats ignore "brown people at the border"? Can people not see the difference between a Democratic and Republican rally or convention or administration, the difference between a blue and red state? "Democrats are the real racists" is so 2016.

[Marthe48]

31. Let's remember the risks the tx. Dems took leaving the state

to prevent/delay a vote in the tx. house that allowed voter suppression. Just about a year ago. We need that strong resolve on every single level of governance!