CA Democrats lose another Latino leader to the GOP. Is Golden State turning red? | Opinion

Ever since “Viva Kennedy!” presidential campaign signs sprouted in Mexican American homes in support of John F. Kennedy in 1959, Latino voters have been loyal to Democrats in the San Joaquin Valley.

That devotion was unwavering. The first Latinos to win a seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors (1972) or the Fresno City Council (1971) or the state Assembly (1972) or Bakersfield City Council (2010) were all Democrats.

When a Latino Republican challenged an incumbent member of Congress in 2000, an overwhelming majority of Latino politicos shunned his campaign. A poll showed the Republican, a well-known television anchorman, with less than 30% support among Latino voters in a Latino-majority district. The Democratic incumbent won with 53% of the vote.

Cracks are starting to appear in Democrats’ relationship with Latinos in the Central Valley. Four months after state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil – whose sprawling district includes swatches of the region – switched to the Republican Party, another Latino Democrat representing the Central Valley has changed party affiliation.

Mendota Mayor Víctor Martínez announced Thursday that he has joined the Republican Party because state Democrats have made life harder for his west Fresno County farm community of 12,600 mostly Latino residents.

“Due to the extreme policies made by Sacramento politicians, such as CARB, families in Mendota are not getting a fair shot at the American Dream,” Martínez said in an email. His reference to CARB is the California Air Resources Board, which has proposed a gasoline tax increase of up to 62 cents per gallon.

In an interview with The Fresno Bee Wednesday evening, the 35-year-old Martínez expressed frustration over state regulations that hamper field workers who go into the trucking industry only to find they must install cleaner burning engines that can cost up to $40,000.

“We’re just trying to make it,” said Martínez. “We’re getting tired of it.”

Democrats, he said, “are disconnected from reality.” Martínez said social issues like gender-neutral restrooms at schools “are not working for our community.”

Party switch was not unexpected

The change was not unexpected. During the recent election, Martínez spoke favorably about Modesto nurseryman John Duarte, R-Modesto, in his reelection campaign commercials. Other prominent Latino-elected officials like Madera Mayor CeCe Gallegos, another Democrat who switched to the Republican brand, also appeared in the ad.

Earlier this year, the Central Valley Leadership Round Table, a coalition of mostly Democratic voters and leaders in the west side of the Central Valley, endorsed Duarte over his Democratic challenger Adam Gray. Gray won the 13th Congressional District by 187 votes.

Martínez’s position does not rank up there with that of a congressmember, state lawmaker or county supervisor, but the California Republican Party has taken notice.

“It is an honor to welcome Mayor Martínez to the Republican Party, said Jessica Millan Patterson, chair of the California Republican Party, in a statement. “All across our state, local leaders, including those in the Latino community, are standing up and saying that Sacramento Democrats’ extreme policies are making life less affordable and less safe for all Californians.”

Millan Patterson, who has focused on GOP outreach to Latino voters since being elected chair in 2019, opened Latino engagement centers that operate year-round in Merced, Bakersfield and Palmdale to reach Latino voters.

The pickup of Martínez could further her goals of getting more Latinos to run as Republicans.

“It’s a wakeup call to Democrats”

Martínez, the chief business officer for the Golden Plains Unified School District, was first elected to the Mendota City Council in 2016.

His experience is similar to that of many residents in a city where the Salvadoran community has grown in recent years. He was 5 years old when his parents immigrated from El Salvador. He worked in the fields before earning a degree in math and a masters in business administration from Fresno State.

Unemployment rates in Mendota remain among the highest in the state. He said there are no real opportunities for Latino residents. “Sacramento policies are not working,” said Martínez.

Eliseo Gamiño, chair of the Central Valley Leadership Round Table and a trustee at the Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, said he remains a Democrat. “I plan to stay a Democrat, but I am not the type of elected official that sweeps things under the carpet,” he said. “We need to make changes and be open to do the hard work of educating voters year-round, not just during elections.”

Gamiño said Martinez switching parties was not a shock. “It’s a wakeup call to Democrats, including myself,” he said.

Martínez, registered as a Democrat when he became a U.S. citizen in 2007, said he is tired of “nonsense policies.” Latinos want better-paying jobs, lower prices and safe streets, he said. “I am proudly working to bring that change as a member of the Republican Party.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 10:42 AM.