SoCal GOP’s plan to win Latino votes aims to go statewide.

¡BASTA!: The Grassroots Nonprofit Encouraging Voter Participation in Minority Communities

In Orange County, California, a grassroots nonprofit called ¡BASTA! has emerged during the pandemic to encourage voter participation in minority communities, especially Hispanics. The Santa Ana-based organization, established in 2021, has gained recognition from Republicans across the state. The name ¡BASTA! means “enough” in Spanish and has been historically used for Latinos seeking revolutionary change in governance.

President of the group, Ron Flores, questions why most Latinos vote liberal when their culture is naturally one with conservative roots. “They go to Church, they’re concerned about crime and education… They’re conservative,” he said. “So why do they always vote Democrat?” Flores started ¡BASTA! after he had enough of the Republican Party growing weaker in Orange County. Today, the organization has 85 volunteers, with about 25 the most active.

According to Flores, getting support from the Latino community isn’t difficult, but the GOP has failed to win over Latino voters because they never try. However, a representative from the California GOP says otherwise. “We have always taken a personalized approach, connecting with [Hispanic] voters by utilizing Spanish-language advertising to foster cultural resonance,” said Hector Barajas, Latino Engagement and Media Advisor for the CAGOP. He said more outreach will continue for the next election cycle.

After successfully winning over some Latino voters in the 2022 elections through candidate forums, canvassing, and community events, members of the California Republican Assembly say they’ve taken notice of and hope to expand their methodology statewide with groups like Flores’s. In recognition, Flores was elected last April as vice senate director for the group’s Santa Ana division. In the coming weeks, California Republican Assembly leaders plan to meet with Flores to discuss how to replicate ¡BASTA!’s success statewide.

According to a recent ¡BASTA! report, during the 2022 primary and general elections, the nonprofit used a $40,000 donation to support 25 candidates and canvassed Santa Ana, Anaheim, Westminster, and Pico Rivera. Twelve of the candidates they sponsored, or nearly 50 percent, were successfully elected. The funds were additionally used for printing materials and feeding and equipping volunteers.

One thing that caught the nonprofit by surprise was the turnout of Gen Z voters this last election, which outperformed millennials and baby boomers. Gen Z, which are those born between 1997 and 2012, will be one of the group’s focus during the 2024 election cycle. Flores said if the Republican Party wants to compete with the Democrats, they need to match their outreach efforts.