Minorities and women are leading the red wave

For generations, the Democratic Party has taken the votes of women and minorities for granted. But on Nov. 2, voters sent a clear message: Don’t count on it.  

Take Republican Winsome Sears, Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor-elect. She’s the first Black woman elected to hold statewide office in the commonwealth’s 400-year history. Or how about incoming Attorney General Jason Miyares, a proud Republican, the son of a Cuban immigrant, and the first Hispanic to win a statewide race in Virginia? 

The trend continued down-ballot, too. Four of the seven seats Republicans flipped in Virginia’s House of Delegates were won by women or minorities, including A.C. Cordoza, a Black man who once supported former President Barack Obama until he realized the issues he cares about more closely align with the GOP. Each of these candidates are proof that Americans are rejecting Democrats’ tired identity politics narrative. 

It wasn’t just Virginia, though. In New Jersey, a record number of Republican women were elected to the General Assembly. In fact, all but one of the seats Republicans gained in the state assembly were won by female candidates, and one of the two State Senate seats Republicans flipped was won by a woman. Two of these candidates won in a district Biden carried by almost 12 points last year. These candidates aren’t political pros or lifelong activists. They’re wives, moms, professionals, and — most importantly — Americans who were alarmed by the direction of this country and inspired to get involved. 

A similar story played out in Texas. Republican John Lujan won his race in Texas House District 118, a region that’s 75 percent Hispanic. It’s a significant victory considering that less than a year ago, Joe Biden carried it by 14 points. 

These wins are an extension of the trends we saw in 2020. Voters elected five new Republican Hispanic candidates to the House of Representatives. Reps. Mike Garcia of California, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, and Florida’s Carlos Giménez and Maria Elvira Salazar are bringing new energy and fresh perspectives to the Republican Party. In addition, two-thirds of the House GOP freshman class — 18 of 27 new members — are women, bringing the total number of GOP congresswomen to 33. That’s the highest number we’ve ever had in Congress.

We’re excited to keep building on this momentum in the months to come. We’re opening new community centers like the ones we’ve launched in Texas, Wisconsin, and Ohio to reach Indian, Hispanic, and Black Americans — voting blocs that have not traditionally identified as Republican but share our values of freedom, faith, and prosperity.  

The RNC is also rolling out a nationwide citizenship education program to help lawful permanent residents not only prepare to become naturalized American citizens but also to instill in them a sense of pride in their new country and a fundamental understanding of what it means to be an American. With one million new American citizens every year, there’s great potential for welcoming new voters into our Party.  

Finally, we’re working hard to recruit a deep bench of candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds. Already, 196 Republican women have filed to run for congress — up from 162 this time last year. And among minority communities, we’ve seen 177 GOP members announce their candidacy. That’s a jump from 131 at this point in 2020.   

Republicans are making gains in these demographics because Americans are sick of Democrats’ divisive agenda. They’re tired of being told what to think and how to vote. They’re looking for results, not rhetoric. Our message of strong families, stable communities and economic opportunity for all transcends gender and skin color. Every day, more Americans are realizing they have a home in the GOP.  

Ronna McDaniel is chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Follow her on Twitter @GOPChairwoman.