On Thursday, September 29, Axios and Noticias Telemundo hosted a ‘Visionarios’ event in Washington, D.C., featuring interviews with top Latino leaders and newsmakers across policy, culture and business. Guests included Siete Family Foods co-founder and CEO Miguel Garza, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Chávez Rodríguez, and The View co-host Ana Navarro-Cárdenas.
Rep. María Elvira Salazar shared her thoughts on potential nominees for the 2024 presidential election and blamed the Biden administration’s immigration policies when asked about Florida Gov. DeSantis sending migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
- When asked whether she’d support Gov. DeSantis or former president Trump if both ran in the 2024 presidential election: “I am sure that the next president of the United States in 2024 is going to come from Florida.”
- On the Biden administration’s immigration policies: “We should go to the root of the problem, which is that the Biden administration is not doing its job. We’re in an area where they can control.”
Rep. Ruben Gallego explained where he believes Democratic politicians are falling short with Latino voters and what issue he thinks will drive voter turnout the most in the midterm elections.
- On what the Democrats are failing to do in appealing to Latino voters: “For Latinos, they just treat us as one big monolith, and we’re not.”
- On why he thinks the Democrats could maintain the House majority in the midterm elections: “I would say up until about two months ago, that was not going to happen. I think right now we are at a 50/50 shot, and I think the number one reason is the Dobbs decision…I think it’s going to motivate young Latinas to come out and vote in an off-year election that normally would not.”
Miguel Garza shared how his sister’s food sensitivities and health inspired the creation of Siete Family Foods – it all started with a tortilla made from almonds instead of grains.
- “What we were doing was a little bit different, but for us it was our authentic expression of who we were…and the foods that we grew up eating, and being able to provide that same experience for people that either could no longer eat a certain way or who wanted a different take on a tortilla.”
Julie Chávez Rodríguez spoke about the opportunities and challenges of strategic community messaging and voter engagement in the Latino community ahead of the upcoming election.
- “We’ve seen the very strategic and targeted mis- and disinformation campaigns really focused on our community, and so I think that’s a huge challenge that we have, and it’s a challenge not just for the Biden administration or for government, I think it is really a challenge of our day right now.”
Ana Navarro-Cárdenas said she believes Gov. DeSantis sending migrants to Martha’s Vineyard was a “political stunt.”
- “We all know what a political stunt looks like, smells like and sounds like, and this was a political stunt. Frankly, I think he was trying to outdo Gov. Greg Abbott with his political stunt of sending migrants here. It doesn’t solve anything.”
Thank you Bank of America and UnidosUS for sponsoring this event.