With the midterm elections approaching in November, the is expanding the footprint of what they鈥檙e calling their 鈥渕inority outreach centers鈥� by opening their latest RNC Hispanic Community Center in Albuquerque.
A spokesperson for the RNC said in a statement that the New Mexico center, which it opened Thursday, is the 35th in the country. Others are dedicated to engaging Native American, Black and Asian voters.
The Albuquerque center is located in the newly-redrawn . That seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, the only Republican in New Mexico's congressional delegation, but Democrats are hoping to take it back in November.
RNC Co-Chair Tommy Hicks said the committee hopes the space can help the Republican Party build relationships in the Hispanic community here.
鈥淲e will train them to be volunteers for candidates and the party,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e also going to do job fairs, we鈥檙e going to pizza parties, we鈥檒l have activities for the kids to do.鈥�
Republican Rep. , the Minority Whip of the state legislature, told the crowd packed into the small center next to a paleteria in Albuquerque鈥檚 West Mesa neighborhood that the Republican party has 鈥減lenty of room鈥� for traditional Hispanic values.
鈥淚n northern New Mexico, we hunt, we fish, we enjoy the land, we are private property owners, we are gun owners,鈥� he told reporters after the event. 鈥淚n the Democrat Party, you鈥檙e shamed out of the party for holding any of those values.鈥�
However, recent polls show a majority of Hispanic and Latino voters nationwide hold values like supporting , and , which are policy positions typical of Democrats.
That said, the GOP is making gains in the community. Though most Hispanic and Latino voters cast a ballot for President Joe Biden in 2020, about . He performed significantly better with Latinos without a four-year college degree, garnering 41% of their votes, versus 30% of college-educated Latino voters.
Montoya highlighted that a national last month showed a near-even split among Latino voters for the two parties in this year鈥檚 congressional elections.
鈥淭he same thing that鈥檚 happening across the country is now going to happen in New Mexico,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that is just this continued exodus of Hispanic Democrats to the Republican Party.鈥�
That same poll showed Latino voters are more likely than any other race or ethnicity to say the economy is the most important issue facing the country right now. Montoya said that鈥檚 a boon to the GOP, which he described as 鈥渢he party of jobs.鈥�
鈥淭he people want jobs, the people want to have affordable energy, the people want to be able to afford their groceries, the people want to have a nice house and have self-determination.鈥� He said. 鈥淣one of those items that I just suggested are priorities in the Democratic party.鈥�
Spokesperson for the Daniel Garcia said in an email that it鈥檚 his party that 鈥渁ctually implements the policies that help New Mexico鈥檚 Hispanic families get ahead鈥� by 鈥渇ighting for economic opportunity for all.鈥�
As for the new RNC Hispanic Community Center, Garcia said 鈥淭he GOP can鈥檛 make up for policies that favor the wealthy and a lack of diversity and representation just by renting some commercial office space in a Hispanic neighborhood.鈥�
