GOP group launches first-ever Spanish ad in key states

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) rolled out its first Spanish-language ad in a number of swing states on Thursday, underscoring the GOP’s efforts to make inroads with Hispanic voters. 

The 30-second spot, part of a five-figure digital ad buy, will air in Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Nevada. The RSLC, which works to elect Republicans to state legislatures, has said they are working to defend the legislative chambers in Arizona, Texas, and Florida, while they work to flip them in Nevada and Colorado.

The ad is titled “Respetan,” which means “to respect,” and accuses Democrats of taking Hispanic voters for granted. The Hill was the first outlet to report on the ad, which is the RSLC’s first Spanish-language spot. 

The effort is the latest from the Republican Party apparatus to make gains with Hispanic voters up and down the ballot. The National Republican Congressional Committee says it has recruited a total of 102 Hispanic candidates in this cycle, while the Republican National Committee (RNC) launched an initiative earlier this month that aims to help immigrants prepare for the naturalization test. The first course started in Doral, Fla., at the RNC Hispanic Community Center.

Polls also show the beginning of a shift in Hispanic support toward the GOP. A New York Times-Siena College poll this month found that only 41 percent of Hispanics said they intended to vote for Democrats in the upcoming midterms, while 38 percent said they preferred GOP candidates.

“Hispanic voters want good paying jobs, affordable goods, safe communities, and a quality education for their children, and the RSLC will keep deploying innovative voter contact tactics like this to remind them that those are all products of Republican leadership in the states,” said RSLC President Dee Duncan.