In a bid to expand its outreach to Hispanic voters, Senator Ted Cruz’s reelection campaign has launched a multi-million dollar Spanish-language advertising campaign in Texas. The $4.4 million effort is aimed at Latino voters in the state, where Cruz is seeking a third term in the Senate.
According to Macarena Martinez, a spokeswoman for the Cruz campaign, the investment is a significant one. “We are proud to announce our seven-figure investment in the Hispanic community,” she said. “Senator Cruz is committed to ensuring that every Hispanic household hears his message loud and clear.”
The campaign’s focus on Hispanic voters is not surprising, given the demographic’s growing importance in Texas. Hispanics outnumber non-Latino whites in the state, and nearly 30% of Texans speak Spanish at home. Nationwide, the number of eligible Hispanic voters has nearly doubled since 2000, and the voting bloc appears to be shifting to the right.
In the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney won just 27% of the Hispanic vote. However, by the 2020 election, Donald Trump had increased the Republican share of the Latino vote to 38%. Trump’s campaign is now touting a recent survey that shows him leading Vice President Kamala Harris among Hispanic voters, 42% to 43%.
While Trump’s campaign is optimistic about its chances among Hispanic voters, the reality on the ground in Texas is more nuanced. In the 2022 gubernatorial election, Governor Greg Abbott won just 40% of the Latino vote, down from 42% four years earlier. Similarly, Cruz’s own Senate campaigns have seen a decline in Hispanic support, from 40% in 2012 to 35% in 2018.
Despite these trends, there are signs that Texas Hispanics are becoming more receptive to Republican candidates. In March, conservative lawmakers launched the Texas Hispanic Republican Caucus, which they said marked a “significant development” in the state legislature. Additionally, polling in April showed Trump leading Biden by 4% among Texan Latinos.
