ICYMI: Republicans Expand Latino Support as Democrats Lose Ground in Key Swing Seats
In case you missed it, a new report highlights how House Republicans are building a new coalition in key swing districts by recruiting battle-tested Hispanic candidates focused on public safety, economic opportunity, and the American Dream, a strategy Democrats are increasingly panicked about as Latino voters continue shifting right.
Read more here or see excerpts below:
The new faces of the GOP’s swing-district strategy
National Journal
James Downs
May 7, 2026
House Republicans aren’t looking to reinvent the formula that gave them the majority the last two cycles, but they are looking to capitalize on a voting bloc with whom they’ve only recently made inroads.
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Following GOP gains and a corruption scandal for Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar in Texas’ 28th, the GOP put more resources into the seat. They scored Webb County Executive Tano Tijerina, a Democrat-turned-Republican, to take on Cuellar.
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Young Latinos were a critical part of Trump’s success in places like South Texas and the Central Valley of California. Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ support tanked in the Rio Grande Valley, even as other Democrats ran stronger races down the ballot. Part of that could be attributed to gender, according to operatives on the ground.
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“I think fundamentally, you know, Republicans and Hispanics don’t view masculinity as toxic,” Republican Kevin Lincoln told National Journal. Lincoln is set for a matchup with Rep. Adam Gray in California’s Central Valley. The seat has been among the closest contests the last two election cycles.
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“We don’t want somebody who only possesses ideas,” Flores said. “We want somebody that has experiences.”
Flores is expected to garner significant outside support in his matchup with Gonzalez.
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“We are conservative people, [as are] the values that we represent,” Cunningham told National Journal. “We’re huge with our families—that’s a very, very important part of our culture, and passing things on and taking care of our family, the culture around us, our land.”
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“Over the past decade, Hispanic voters have been steadily moving toward Republicans,” Christian Martinez, national Hispanic press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told National Journal in a statement. “This coalition didn’t happen by accident. It’s being built by candidates like Kevin Lincoln, Eric Flores, Tano Tijerina, and Greg Cunningham, a new generation focused on delivering economic opportunity, public safety, and the American Dream.
“That’s how Republicans are earning the trust of Hispanic communities, and how we will expand and keep the House,” Martinez said.