Democrats target Latino voters in Hudson Valley swing district

In 2023, a summer punctuated by freak weather phenomena and a frustrating lack of legal cannabis, more troubling events were underway in the Hudson Valley. Asylum-seekers bussed from New York City, which was buckling at capacity with migrants sent by conservative governors as a political stunt, arrived in May at the Town of Newburgh’s Crossroads Hotel. Though they were welcomed by many in the community, some residents took the opportunity to shout xenophobic taunts at the new arrivals. 

One might think this would galvanize the area’s Latino community, firmly shifting them to a Democratic Party that’s positioned itself as pro-immigrant. Like much of what happens north of the Mario Cuomo Bridge, though, it isn’t that simple. As Democrats look to retake (and hopefully cement) control of the Hudson Valley, the party’s leaders and strategists have identified Latino voters in the 18th Congressional District as a key constituency. 

If only they knew how to reach them. 

No es un monolito

No voting bloc in America, let alone New York, can be reduced to a single party allegiance or ideological viewpoint. Though Latino voters in the Hudson Valley are sometimes assumed to be universally supportive of Democrats, some hold more conservative views on border security and abortion rights, due in part to the central role of the church in their communities.

That puts Democrats in somewhat of a pickle, since their messaging has been heavily focused on the need to protect abortion rights in November. Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan, who represents the 18th Congressional District spanning Orange, Ulster and Dutchess Counties, was voted into Congress in 2022 largely on the back of his firm commitment to protecting reproductive rights. Two years on, Ryan has shifted tack somewhat with a campaign message focused broadly on protecting freedom. But he and his colleagues throughout the state have continued to lambast Republicans for their flirtations with rolling back access to reproductive rights and their opposition to President Joe Biden’s bipartisan border security bill.

That’s not necessarily a winning message in the region’s Latino communities. 

In state Senate District 39, which overlaps with Ryan’s congressional district, Dutchess County Legislator Yvette Valdes-Smith is challenging incumbent Republican state Sen. Rob Rolison. Valdes-Smith, who was raised in Puerto Rico, told City & State that she’s been met with a wide spectrum of reactions when visiting Latino households. “Most in our community are here of course legally and really have issues with our immigration and what has happened at the border, so it’s not always a pleasant conversation at the door,” Valdes-Smith said. “People really do feel like there needs to be something done and we need to prioritize federal action on this.” 

In June, Biden took the divisive step of limiting asylum applications at the southern border, but critics on both sides of the aisle have long hoped for a more comprehensive overhaul of immigration policy. 

When it comes to reproductive rights, Valdes-Smith said that it’s key for Democrats to frame the issue to conservative-leaning Latinos as one of government overreach. “That’s really important to me and to a lot of Latino voters, they also don’t want their government involved in personal medical decisions for them,” she said. “It's been interesting. I’ve gotten out into a lot of the religious communities … what it really comes down to (is) people really want to make sure we’re voting for representatives that really have their best interests at heart.”

No hablan español

Some Latino voters in the Mid-Hudson Valley say that there has been a lack of outreach and interest in their communities, and the consequences have shown up (or rather, not shown up) at the polls. “In a place like the City of Newburgh, where we have a pretty significant advantage in Democratic voter registration, our voter turnout is pretty low,” said Orange County Legislator Genesis Ramos, referring to the local Latino community. “It’s actually a growing concern of elected officials and other groups like NAACP.”

In Newburgh and Middletown, two of the largest population centers in the 18th Congressional District, close to half of the population identifies as Latino. According to the latest U.S. Census data, Latinos make up 40.3% of the population in Middletown and 48.7% of the population in Middletown.

It’s not as if the Democratic Party has completely ignored the constituency. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Democratic Party have made maximizing turnout in the Latino community a key component of their coordinated campaign to win back control of the House. But some local lawmakers wonder why the party has missed seemingly obvious ways to engage the community.

“Most campaigns don’t specifically target Latino voters,” Ramos said. “I certainly don’t often see events or outreach that is specifically geared toward making sure that they’re feeling part of this process.” She noted the fact that Valdes-Smith is releasing campaign materials in Spanish as well as English, which other campaigns have failed to do. “Something that is so straight forward and so simple and yet you’d be surprised that we don’t see that across the board,” she said, adding that campaigns need to prioritize having bilingual staffers.

Recognizing the stakes, state Democrats’ coordinated campaign to win back the House installed a Hispanic constituency organizer in the 18th Congressional District, working out of Newburgh. Campaign staffers are fanning out across the district, and there are plans for bilingual direct voter contacting, event programming, church and small business visits and a voter education town hall. Members of the staff have already fanned out throughout the district.

Ramos said that Democrats need to focus on meeting Latino voters where they are.

“There are different aspects that impact the way people view politics here, and I’m specifically referring now to immigrants because a lot of immigrants become citizens and therefore are able to vote,” she said. “We have to remember that they come with a particular worldview and understanding and there is an educational element to it.” 

La elección

Ryan’s opponent, Republican Alison Esposito, has spoken at length about the problems at the border. Like many Republicans, she has framed a public policy issue as one of public safety, going as far as visiting the southern border and lamenting the presence of migrants outside her local Price Chopper. 

She has also attacked Ryan’s stance on immigration during the campaign, highlighting his decision as Ulster County executive to sign a “sanctuary county” bill that attempted to limit local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities. In June, after Ryan voted against a Republican bill that would have required proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, Esposito said in a statement that “Pat Ryan will stop at nothing to put the needs of illegal migrants before the needs of New York 18 residents.”

For his part, Ryan has tried with some success to engage the local Spanish-speaking community, taking steps similar to those that Ramos recommended. “It’s a big part of the reason we set up our primary office right here in Newburgh on Broadway, which is sort of the center of the largest (Latino) community in the district as well as our regular presence in Middletown, which is certainly number two,” Ryan told City & State following an event in Newburgh.

He said that he has made a point of bringing on staff who speak Spanish and providing Spanish-language campaign materials. He also said that he has worked closely with religious leaders, which he sees as a bridge between politics and the community. Thanks to those connections, he said, his office has been able to provide services to constituents who are hesitant to go through the normal channels due to their immigration status. He explicitly contrasted his approach to Esposito’s demonization of immigrants. “There’s a cruelty to her rhetoric and policy,” he said.

For some in the 18th Congressional District’s Latino community, this year’s election is more than simply another referendum on Trump or a chance to reelect Ryan. It’s an opportunity to broaden and diversify the Democratic Party’s coalition. “I think that our community has, for the longest time, been put on a back burner,” said Newburgh City Council Member Giselle Martinez, whose parents immigrated from Mexico. “We have a real opportunity here to engage voters for a generation and just because a family is mixed status doesn’t mean they won’t be able to vote forever.”