Koch Brothers to Focus on Latino Voters for GOP Outreach

Launching a seven-figure voter engagement effort and ad campaign, the Libre Initiative, an organization affiliated with the Koch brothers, is targeting congressional lawmakers who have backed the Biden administration’s “punitive economic policies.”

The campaign, as reported by The New York Times, involves digital ads, events at Hispanic businesses, and a Spanish language website criticizing Bidenomics.

Facing challenges in communicating with voters about the economy, President Biden and the Democrats are struggling. Libre Initiative’s leaders aim to attract more Latino voters to the GOP by using what they see as a winning issue for Republicans.

“Bidenomics is harming Latino families’ financial security, quality of life, and future planning,” stated Libre’s CEO Jose Mallea. “To reverse this trend, it’s crucial for Latino families to understand the impact of overspending and overregulation on the economy and prosperity.”

Describing itself as center-right, Libre is connected to the Koch network’s Americans for Prosperity Action super PAC. The group’s goal with the new campaign is to call out lawmakers who have supported Biden’s policies, leading to record inflation and increased living expenses. Over 20 Democratic Congress members are being targeted in more than a dozen states, including key battlegrounds like Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, according to the Times.

The Libre campaign, dubbed “BideNOmics,” is focusing on Senate Democrats in Montana, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin, as well as House members in competitive races nationwide. They are targeting representatives like Josh Harder and Mike Levin in California, Gabriel Vasquez in New Mexico, and Yadira Caraveo in Colorado.

A Pew Research Center analysis predicts around 36.2 million Hispanic eligible voters, nearly 15% of the U.S. electorate. This demographic will have a significant impact in states like Arizona and Nevada, where 1 in 4 eligible voters is Latino, and in the battle for control of the House of Representatives.

One of the four digital ads previewed by the Times features a Hispanic woman criticizing Biden’s policies. The ad will run on social media, television, and audio streaming services.