Pennsylvania’s conservative push for Latino voters
March 22, 2024
(The Center Square) — As Pennsylvania’s Latino population grows, so too does its economic and political influence.
It’s an open question as to where their votes will go, and groups from the left and right alike want to bring them into the fold.
On Thursday, the center-right Libre Initiative launched its Pennsylvania chapter in Philadelphia, advocating for the removal of barriers to opportunity and elevating the concerns of Latinos statewide.
“You can’t ignore the growth of the Latino community here in Pennsylvania and when it comes to policy,” Libre President Daniel Garza said. “We want to build an army of public policy advocates and mobilize them.”
The group describes itself as “empowering the Hispanic community to reach its full potential by promoting and fighting for freedom-oriented solutions” and is closely aligned with Americans For Prosperity, an influential force in right-wing politics.
Garza emphasized that their goal is not to push Latinos into the voting booth for one party but to focus on issues important to the demographic that politicians ignore.
“One of the misconceptions is that Latinos are wired left,” he said. “Latinos have to be persuaded; they’re tired of Latino organizations or party people imposing an agenda on them. They have their own agenda, they have their own priorities.”