GOP congressman shows how to win Latino votes

March 12, 2013

By John Seiler

With California Republicans soul-searching about how to get more Latinos to vote for them, advice comes from Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., on why an Anglo like him keeps winning in a heavily Hispanic district: “You just have to show up, all the time, everywhere. Most Republicans don’t bother. I do. I bother.”

He just won re-election with 59 percent of the vote.

I remember Rep. Bob Dornan‘s re-election bid in 1996 in a district that was turning heavily Latino. He had won the district for years, and had good ties in the Latino community. He “showed up” — in New Hampshire for the Republican primaries for his quixotic bid for president. But his voters were 3,000 miles away back in Santa Ana and Garden Grove. He lost.

His opponent, Loretta Sanchez, campaigned constantly throughout the district, and won in a close race. She’s still there in Washington, now with her sister, Linda.

Part of the problem in California is that the state is so huge, with 38 million people, that for statewide offices such as governor and U.S. Senator, campaigning in person almost is worthless. It’s all about T.V. So most GOP candidates, even for small local offices, take on that lazy mentality. Democrats don’t get lazy like that because of their labor “base,” which is good at local organizing.

But races for U.S. representative and the state Legislature still are “ground games” that mean constantly going to weddings, town-hall meetings, Kiwanis lunches, school board meetings, etc.

The Wall St. Journal reported on Pearce’s tactics:

“Mr. Pearce has watched the national GOP struggle to understand why its low-tax, pro-business, family-values message hasn’t resonated with Latinos: Mitt Romney got the lowest share of the Hispanic vote of any GOP presidential candidate since 1996.

“Many conservatives have since concluded that if the party can get immigration off the table, Hispanics will give the GOP a new look.

“Mr. Pearce agrees, but he contends that changes in policy platforms aren’t enough to reverse the party’s decline among voters like those in his district. Republicans must spend time in Latino neighborhoods with the respectful attentiveness of a small-town mayor.

“‘We have to sell ourselves,’ he said. It will take hard work, he added, because the majority of Hispanics are ‘spring-loaded’ to favor the Democrats and their more expansive view of government.”

“Hard work” — most Republicans agree that’s a good thing in the private sector. Work hard, make some money, support your family.

It’s also what’s needed in politics.