Steve Montenegro: The Fight for the Hispanic/Latino Vote

by Emma Jimenez

Steve Montenegro a Salvadorian-American Republican politician from Litchfield Park, Arizona immigrated to the USA with his family at the age of five. From the year 2009 through 2017, Montenegro served in the Arizona State Senate and the Arizona House of Representatives, where he was Speaker Pro Tempore. Montenegro is running for election to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 13. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary on August 4, 2020.

Since the election of Donald Trump, the Democratic Party appears to be heavily invested in having Hispanic Americans, such as Montenegro,, become single issue base voters by appeasing them on the immigration issue. Montenegro discussed with Politifix that despite popular belief Illegal Immigration is not a winning political strategy for Hispanic Americans. Many Hispanic immigrants come here for economic opportunity, safety, and security which they can’t find in their own country. According to pewhispanic.org , the largest voting minority in the United States is currently the Hispanic American population. He stressed the importance of advocating against socialist policies that have driven immigrants, like himself and refugees to flee from their home countries.

Montenegro has vocally advocated the importance of border security and further stated that our constitution obligates us to protect and retain our sovereignty which our borders play a major role in. He believes that the construction of the border wall honors legal immigrants by not allowing illegal aliens to take their place in line for job opportunities. Montenegro argued that as a sovereign nation, we have the right to decide who comes to the United States. The acts of enforcing our immigration laws, and vigorously protecting our borders, encourages foreigners to come to the U.S. legally and discourages illegal immigration.

Montenegro stated that most Hispanic immigrants don’t sacrifice making the journey to the USA for government intervention and control – but instead come to the United States to escape government overreach and to have the opportunity to work, succeed, and pursue the American Dream. He expressed that immigrants should come to the United States to honor, value, and respect our nation, to integrate, and be an asset not a burden.

Montenegro, a supporter of President Trump, has been heavily criticized for openly supporting the President as a Hispanic American. Montenegro voted for Trump as a delegate in 2016. He believes that under President Trump’s leadership all Americans of different backgrounds have had the opportunity to grow and thrive.

First generation Hispanic Americans have followed the American Dream through ambition and hard work, an ideal that the Republican Party highly believes in. Montenegro stressed that a major difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans look at the American Hispanic community as people who have contributed to the cultural fiber of the United States in more ways than one.

Montenegro advises young Hispanic voters to not take anyone’s word on politics and encourages them to do their own individual research. He suggests starting the conversation off with common ground by asking, do you believe in hard work? Do you believe in a level playing field? While as a Christian, we should help our neighbor – does that mean the government should take 50% of your hard earnings and distribute it how they see fit?

The 2020 election will mark the first time that Hispanic Americans will be the largest racial and ethnic minority group to vote in our upcoming presidential election. Montenegro’s message to young Hispanic voters is that if they truly want their values of faith, family, and freedom to be represented they would vote for the party that has best tried to preserve and fight for those values.

For more information on Steve Montenegro and to support his election to the Arizona House of Representatives please visit his official webpage.

//pf