Latinos: Democrats 'Act Like They Own Us'

Elisabeth Meinecke | November 30, 2011 8:00 AM

A new wave of Latino conservatives are showcasing why being both Republican and Latino is a perfect fit--and why 2012 may be just the time to prove it.

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From Townhall Magazine's EXCLUSIVE December feature "A Passionate Conservatism":

The Odd Couple: Latinos and The Democratic Party

"Latinos by nature are conservative," Republican Indiana state Rep. Rebecka Kubacki tells Townhall. "It irritates me to no end that the Democratic Party acts like they own us."

Kubacki is the first Latino representative to ever be elected in Indiana. She unseated an 18-year Republican incumbent with the help and support of fellow Republicans U.S. Rep. Mike Pence and Gov. Mitch Daniels and hopes that the Republican Party as a whole will recognize the benefits of electing conservative Latinos.

"They recognized the importance of not only having a Latino, but of having a Latino woman in the Republican Party, because I am not cookie cutter. I'm not the norm. They recognized that I was going to win; I was going to outwork my opponent. I didn't care what it took. I was determined. I was going to beat him," Kubacki says. "That's how you succeed: you outwork the other guy."

Kubacki comes from a legal migrant worker family. She developed a strong work ethic and learned how to value education from her parents.

"My life has never been about hope and change. Hope didn't get me out of those tomato fields. It was hard work. I was determined, and I was going to be successful," she says.

-- New Mexico Gov. Susan Martinez's interview with Townhall, where she explains how she came to switch her registration from Democrat to Republican

-- the discrimination Latino conservatives face

-- why the GOP could be so successful with the Latino vote in 2012

-- more conversations with Latino conservatives making a difference on the political scene