Republicans ‘spotlight’ first-generation American candidate as they seek to build support among Hispanics

FIRST ON FOX: The GOP is seeking to gain ground among Hispanic voters this election cycle, in part, by recruiting more Hispanic candidates to run as Republicans in blue districts as they seek to regain control of the House of Representatives.

Tuesday, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launched its fifth edition of “Project Spotlight,” an initiative designed to highlight what House Republicans call an “all-star recruiting class.”

The latest edition features first-generation American and Arizona congressional candidate Juan Ciscomani.

In the ad, Ciscomani, who served as an adviser to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and is viewed as one of the party’s top recruits of the 2022 election cycle, tells the story of his family who migrated to the United States from Mexico when he was a child.

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“Four a.m. That’s when my father woke up every day when I was a kid. He brought our family to America and drove a bus for 20 years,” Ciscomani says. “Only in America could a first-generation immigrant come to this country with nothing and have the opportunity to represent their community in the United States Congress. Only in America.”

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House Republicans say they have recruited more than 100 Hispanic candidates this election cycle. A party official told Fox News that diversifying recruitment is part of a deliberate effort to bring more candidates to the field who look and sound like the districts they are seeking to represent.

A July Quinnipiac University poll suggests their strategy may be working.

According to the poll, Republicans led among Hispanic voters on the generic congressional ballot, with 42% saying they prefer a Republican compared to 40 percent who said they preferred a Democrat. The survey revealed a dramatic shift compared to just two years ago when Democrats led among Hispanics on the generic ballot question 60 percent to 35 percent.

“There’s no one better to protect the American Dream for Arizonans than someone who has lived that experience, and that’s Juan Ciscomani,” NRCC chairman Rep. Tom Emmer said. “Juan’s experience and values are exactly what the Republican Party represents and why we continue to make inroads with voters who want their children to have a chance at prosperity.”

Ciscomani will face Democratic nominee and former Arizona state Sen. Kirsten Engel this November to represent Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.