In a controversial campaign ad released Oct. 17, Cortez Masto was seen speaking about her family’s traditional background in front of an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the unborn.
Cortez Masto does not support any restrictions on abortion and signed on to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s legislation to shut down pro-life crisis pregnancy clinics.
Hispanic Democratic activists concede that economic issues are important but are betting that Hispanics will vote pro-abortion.
“I think the top issues are economic,” Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for Nevada’s Culinary Workers Union, told CNA.
The union — which has 300 paid canvassers across the state — is only endorsing Democrats this year.
Pappageorge said that most of the union’s members “don’t like the idea of having the rights taken away.”
“What we’re seeing is that most folks support a woman’s right to abortion,” he said. “These Republicans in Nevada up and down the board are extremists.”
Silvia Chavez, a Catholic Democrat who canvasses in Las Vegas for the union, believes most Hispanic voters will vote Democrat.
When asked if Cortez Masto’s focus on abortion will prevent religious Hispanics from voting for her, she said she did not think so.
“They’re scared about the economy, prices, and losing insurance,” she said.
Pappageorge also believes Democrats have a “pathway” to win in Nevada even though it remains a battleground.
“This is not a blue state; this is as purple a state could be,” Pappageorge said. “But the way we’ve won is by talking with working-class voters and energizing them to support candidates that really do fight for them.”
Laxalt, a pro-life Catholic, has mainly focused his campaign on pocketbook issues.
Ana Carbonell, a National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) consultant for Hispanic outreach, does not believe abortion will convince Nevadan Hispanics to vote Democrat.
“The extremist view, on the part of the Democrats, is abortion up to the moment of birth,” she said. “Hispanics for the most part, like the majority of Americans, aren’t in the view of extremism.”
Carbonell believes Republicans like Laxalt have an opening to “recapture the messaging” on the American dream, pocketbook issues, and security and stability.
“The Democrats have simply surrendered that message to far-left extremists in their party,” she said.
Meanwhile, the NRSC’s initiative targeting Hispanic voters, Operación Vamos, has ramped up outreach in Nevada.
Juan Arias, an NRSC press secretary, told CNA that the initiative has identified over 250,000 “persuadable Democrat and GOP-leaning Latinos” in the state, a margin he says would swing the election to the right.
Hispanics will account for about 20% of Nevada’s battleground electorate. Recent polls show the Laxalt/Cortez Masto race continuing to tighten and the governor race as a toss-up.
How important is immigration to Hispanic voters?
Importantly, Hispanic voters encompass a variety of demographics representing political views across the spectrum. Cuban voters are far more politically conservative than Puerto Ricans, for example.
It’s not as simple as assuming that Hispanics speak with one coherent voice on every issue, including immigration.
EWTN’s poll, for example, found that immigration ranked in a much lower tier of issues than economic ones did for Hispanics heading into the election. Only 11.8% of respondents cited immigration to be the most important issue, compared with over 50% who cited economic concerns.
“I think most of us believe in having a secure border,” said Reyes, chief of staff for Hidalgo County Democrats.
Hidalgo County borders Mexico and is overwhelmingly Hispanic.
“Our position as Democrats is that if you’re hardworking, law-abiding, you’re trying to just better your family and situation, you’re ready to work, you’re ready to contribute, then you should be able to adjust and become a citizen,” Reyes said.
“The quicker we get all of these people legit and legal, it’s healthier for everyone. These families are part of our society. If we keep on trying to keep them in the shadows, it’s not going to help anyone, and we need to give them a legal way to become citizens,” Reyes added.
Pam Kirby, executive director of the Arizona GOP and former Latinos for Trump adviser, said she believes Republicans “don’t need to change their messaging” on immigration to reach Hispanics.
“We’ve known for a long time in Arizona that Hispanics have conservative values, they share the Republican values. It’s just a matter of having that conversation with them,” she told CNA.
The RNC’s two Hispanic community centers in Tucson and Phoenix have been heavily involved in outreach for the state’s gubernatorial race between Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Katie Hobbs, and the Senate race between Republican Blake Masters and Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.
“I can’t even tell you how many times Blake and Kari have been to those community centers,” Kirby said. “It’s because their message resonates with the Hispanic community.”
According to recent polls, Lake has a strong lead, including among independent voters. Kelly remains ahead, 51% to Masters’ 48%.
What’s certain is that the Hispanic vote — and the issues that matter to Hispanic voters — will play a major role in the future of both parties. Pew Research projects that if the current Hispanic population continues to grow at its current rate, 22 million residents will be added to the United States by 2050 — a 52% increase.
Edie Heipel is the Political Correspondent for CNA’s Washington, D.C. bureau. She previously worked in communications for Center for Renewing America, served in the Trump White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and has been a contributor to various outlets including The Federalist and The Charlotte Lozier Institute. She is a graduate of Wheaton College.
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