Sacramento – Republican legislators, excluded from the Latin American legislative caucus led by Democrats, have taken matters into their own hands.
Nine Latin Gop legislators have created the Californian Hispanic legislative caucus to defend the priorities which, say, diverge from those who have prioritized their liberal colleagues.
“My experience as Latino is different from that of my immigrant grandmother,” said Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Acton), a former member of the recently elected assembly in the State Senate who helped to create the CAUCUS du GOP. “The problems on which the Latin community want to focus have been ignored by Sacramento.”
These changes, she said, have been coming for a long time.
California’s legislature has undergone a quarter of historical work and now includes 44 Latin American legislators, more than a third of all state legislators and the most time, a group that includes an increasing number of Republicans. This comes at a time of evolution of the interests of voters and demographic changes, the Republicans stressing that their new caucus will focus on Latin American priorities around education, public security and affordability and less on The “monolithic” issues on which Democrats are concentrated, such as immigration and health care.
California’s changing political landscape became obvious in the November elections.
Overall, 51% of Latin voters voted for the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but about 54% of Latin men voted for the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. California voters have also helped to return two democratic districts by electing republican assemblies Jeff Gonzalez from Idio and Leticia Castillo from Home Gardens, both Latinos.
“I consider this to be a very healthy development for the Latin American community,” said Mike Madrid, republican political consultant and an expert in Latin demography, who said that Latin voters “were different” now that generations before. “I don’t think the two parties have ever had a monopoly on the heart and spirit of the Latin American community.”
The two parties tend to align themselves with the cost of living and the economy, especially among the Latin workers in blue collar. But, underlines Madrid, the Latin Republicans and Democrats do not agree on political issues relating to the rights to abortion and immigration or anything “beyond the economy”. Among the main problems whose Latin voters care about the cost of living, housing costs, jobs and the economy, according to A survey 1,000 voters from the Latin Community Foundation for non -profit.
Valladares, who formed the Republican Caucus alongside the Kate Sanchez assembly (R-Trabuco Canyon) told Times that “we are not monolithic”.
Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil de Jackson, a democrat who has become a republican, said that she felt “closed” by her democratic counterparts. She also said that the Latin Caucus led by Democrats would support “outdated solutions” to questions such as the rights of agricultural workers who “keep Latinos under the monolithic aegis of being poor and agricultural workers”.
“It’s not modern Latino,” she said.
The Latin American population of California represents more than a third of eligible state voters, according to a study in 2024 of the Latin Policy and Politics of the UCLA. Latin Californians remain the most underpaid for hourly work and lack a graduation of secondary schools compared to any other racial or major racial group, the study revealed.
The California Public Policy Institute found that Latinos are also the fastest segment in the working class and have moved later last year than in any election since 1994.
The Latin Caucus of 35 members, historically led by Democrats after the first Latin American legislators were elected in 1962, focused on a wide range of political priorities, in particular by providing protections and equal access to immigrants, Whatever legal status, promotion of STEM programs in schools and expand paid disease leave and housing to agricultural workers.
“Even in the Latin Caucus, you have moderates, progressives and everything else,” said Miguel Santiago, former Democratic Member of the Assembly and member of the Latin Caucus. “But something that has always united us through each argument is our unwavering support for Latin American communities, in particular those who are undocumented.”
Santiago declared that he was “skeptical about the sincerity” of the Hispanic legislative caucus representing Latin interests, in particular when it comes to protecting undocumented migrants and that these differences “are irreconcilable”.
Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), former president of the Assembly who left a legacy of progressive reforms, in particular by giving agricultural workers overtime and widening childhood education, agrees that there should be A Latin caucus for each party.
“I never understood why they wanted to be part of our caucus other than we hindered,” he said. “They were just shouting, we would vote and they would lose.”
This is not the first time that the Republicans have been excluded to join the Latin Caucus. In 2014, Rocky Chavez was assembled forbidden to join, Press a discussion on the diversity of opinions and political objectives in Latin-political decision-makers.
Madrid said the growing number of Latin Republicans is “a healthy sign” of diversity within the community and believes that the political system should allow these differences, without forcing a consensus on racial or cultural issues. Latinos see less the world through the objective of their ethnicity and, he said, “it is progress.”
The Hispanic legislative caucus led by Les Républicains will have nine members. It is currently registered as a non -profit organization and a political action committee has declared Valladares, and they will begin to support the re -election of operational operators and to target other seats.
They are awaiting official recognition of legislative leadership and approval for “equal” funding as Latino Caucus for the staffing, according to an amount that Valladares is around $ 500,000. Friday afternoon legislative leaders were not available to respond if they would approve of this funding.
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