Huge 'backlash' threatened as border town Trump voters admit 'we made a mistake': report
Voters in a Texas border town who supported President Donald Trump were expressing regret as a new Democratic candidate makes headway in a competitive race to potentially flip a House seat blue, according to a new report on Thursday.
Democrat and Latin Grammy award-winning artist Bobby Pulido sees an opportunity to reach voters — and not just at quinceañeras — but by offering another message, reported Michelle Cottle, politics opinion writer at The New York Times.
His campaign for the House in Texas's 15th Congressional District has revealed that the predominantly Latino border community that has favored Republicans could be seeing the upcoming midterms differently.
"The 15th is one of the state’s poorest districts, and 'upward mobility' is always top of mind here," Pulido told The Times.
Democrats need a different strategy, he explained, and "have to talk more in the economic language that people understand, about how can I provide for my family?"
"I feel like Democrats focus on the poor, but a lot of people here do not consider themselves poor. They consider themselves broke," Pulido said. "There’s a big distinction, because if you consider yourselves poor, you’re kind of accepting your fate. We’re not like that here. We say, ‘We’re broke, but tomorrow we’re going to make it.'"
Voters who backed Trump in the region thought he would change things for them, "because of the promise of a better life for their own families."
That promise didn't materialize, so Pulido predicts a major shift in voter sentiment.
"Now the backlash is going to be very, very big," Pulido said.
Michelle Renee Rangel, who owns the restaurant Falfurrias in the district, said she was a committed Democrat until Trump ran for president. She and her husband voted for him and even cheered his election night victory.
But now they don't feel the same.
"He promised a lot of things," Rangel said
She's standing behind Pulido now and organized a meet-and-greet for the candidate. Rangel has recognized how Trump's message of economic opportunity didn't pan out.
"We made a mistake," Rangel said.