OPINION: Let’s talk about Florida, Texas, and why the Latinx Community Doesn’t Owe Their Vote to Anyone

Words by Ruth Martinez
Cover Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash

Joe Biden has been projected to be the winner of the 2020 Presidential election and millions around the country are celebrating the end of President Donald Trump’s chaotic term in office. Biden managed to flip both Pennsylvania and Arizona into blue states so far, a victory for the Democratic Party that looked unlikely on Election Day. In the southern United States, particularly in Florida and Texas, however, the Latinx community made noise with their unexpected support for President Trump and other Republican candidates whose votes might have won the two states for The Republican Party (GOP).

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

According to various exit polls, Trump won 55% of the Cuban vote in Florida and 48% of other Latinx votes in the state. The Washington Post reported that in Texas, Trump cut his loss in 2016 with some Hispanic communities by up to 55 points.

So, what does this mean for the future of the GOP and the Democratic Party? Is there something the GOP did correctly that the Democrats did not or can we simply boil these numbers down to what many are claiming to be internalized racism and irrational fears of socialism on American turf?

Yes and no.                   

It would be lazy, in my opinion, to accuse Latinx Trump voters of being racist, sexist, or voting for reasons solely along those lines. It would be too easy to accuse Cuban Americans in Florida of being selfish and irrational in their fears of socialism or to say that Latinx Republicans in Texas revel in self-hating conservatism and have voted against their own interests. The truth isn’t that simple, however, and neither are the politics of the Latinx community.

The long-held expectations for Latinx voters, where they all go out and vote blue no matter who, is one that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) needs to dismiss if they want to win elections with this demographic. These voters were lost because too many Democrats continue to operate under the assumption that the Latinx community is a monolith. The Democratic Party expects the community to come out in droves every election cycle and vote for them because it is what they have been doing for decades, so why wouldn’t they this year? Under that assumption, very little has been done in terms of community outreach and working harder to implement effective policies in Latinx communities that are not related to immigration.

The instinctual approach many have towards Latinx conservatives is to call them traitors and to berate them for voting in ways pollsters and media outlets didn’t expect. What we should be doing is asking ourselves where we are lacking. Where did we go wrong in messaging, rallying, or even in policy? The goal of politics should be to better communities as a whole, and Latinx voters should matter before and after election cycles, not just during. You do not attract voters by berating them for not voting for you. You gain voters through good, consistent outreach and even better policy.

Screenshot of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s critical tweets

The truth is that the Democratic Party has been treating the Latinx vote as expendable for a while. They tailor their message to the community by appealing to identity and familiarity, by shoving immigration policy in their face but doing very little to change the system itself. Where has the outreach been? Progressive Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, posted about this concern on Twitter in response to data that showed Biden’s dwindling support in Florida, speaking about “Democratic vulnerability” with Latinx voters. She also posted an earlier statement from Joe Biden’s campaign, who said they do not consider Latinos “an essential part of their path to victory.”

Is the Latinx vote expendable, then? Is it only important when our backs are against the wall or do these votes really matter in the grand scheme of things?

As a progressive, I strongly believe the Latinx community does not owe any party their vote. They deserve to be treated like the diverse community they are. Cubans are not like Puerto Ricans and Dominicans are not like Mexicans. The term “Latinx” itself is an incredibly loaded one that does not do justice to how diverse the community is and neither does the bogus expectation that everyone who checks the “Latino/Hispanic” box on the census will automatically vote for someone with a (D) next to their name.

The Latinx community needs to be won over and fought for through good outreach and policy. The DNC cannot continue relying on familiarity and expectations in a political climate that is rapidly changing. What the “other side” is doing matters, but what we are doing matters even more. Until we put in the necessary effort, we may continue to be surprised with how voting trends continue to shift. Votes need to be earned and no one owes either party their vote. We can be saddened by what occurred in Florida and Texas but also take the opportunity to remember that our politics should be active, not passive.