Last November, Arizona’s Latinos overwhelmingly swung to the right side of the aisle. We saw this trend across the country and many were surprised, but we weren’t. While Democrats told Latinos what they should care about, Arizona Republicans listened to them, understood their values and demonstrated to them that conservatives share their priorities.  

Now, it’s time for Republicans in other parts of the country to take notice and follow our lead.

President Donald Trump won the state of Arizona comfortably, driven in part by significant gains with Latinos. In Santa Cruz County, which is 85% Hispanic, Trump received an 8-point increase in his vote share compared to his 2020 total. In Yuma County, which is 60% Hispanic, Trump gained a 13-point bump. These numbers are unprecedented for modern Republican presidential candidates.

Latinos’ rightward shift in Arizona should be a case study for the Republican Party. Trump won big among Latinos in Arizona because he spoke about their concerns like inflation, crime and traditional family values, not identity politics or wokeness. And yes, he focused on immigration too, which clearly resonated with Latino voters in Arizona who agree on the need to prioritize safety along the border. Arizona Republicans and President Trump listened and focused on the issues Latinos care about, winning them over in historic numbers.

We’ve seen this shift across the country and across the diverse Latino community. In the recent election, Puerto Ricans made it explicitly clear that they are ready to vote for Republicans, and they are ready for statehood. 

In 2024, Puerto Rico elected Jenniffer González-Colón, an ally of President Trump, as governor. Her party also won legislative majorities in Puerto Rico’s House and Senate, which elected Republicans to lead each body. That success coincided with Republican gains among Puerto Ricans in places like Osceola County, Florida, and Berks County, Pennsylvania. On top of that, the island’s most recent “shadow” senator, Zoraida Buxó Santiago, is a Republican who endorsed President Trump last year. The trend is clear. Puerto Ricans want to support Republicans. And at the same time that Puerto Ricans were turning out for President Trump and Republicans, they were also making their voices heard on the issue of statehood.

In the recent election, Puerto Ricans voted overwhelmingly once again in favor of statehood. That follows previous elections in 2020, 2017 and 2012 when Puerto Ricans voted for statehood. Time after time, they have made their wishes clear, but politicians in Washington haven’t listened… yet.  

Republicans in Washington D.C. and across the country must respond to Puerto Ricans’ support for their party and statehood. Listening to them and advocating for their cause is exactly how Republicans won over Latinos in Arizona. It’s largely how President Trump won our state. And while Republicans have not always listened to what Puerto Ricans want when it comes to statehood out of fear that the island would only send Democrats to Washington, it’s time for Republicans to flip that misguided conventional wisdom on its head because it’s simply not the case. In fact, recent evidence shows the very opposite is true.

President Trump famously said, “We’re one people, one family and one glorious nation under God.” It’s time we live up to those words by embracing Puerto Rico as a full member of our American family. Republicans in Arizona and across the country should champion statehood because it’s in the best interest of our party and our nation.

Jaime Molera is a former Arizona superintendent of public instruction.