Connect with us

Southwest

Latino Senate hopeful says Hispanic voters being 'blindsided' by Dem policies, aims to flip border seat red

Published

on

Latino Senate hopeful says Hispanic voters being 'blindsided' by Dem policies, aims to flip border seat red

EXCLUSIVE: Ben Luna, a conservative Latino activist and Republican candidate running to flip New Mexico’s Democrat-held Senate seat, told Fox News Digital this week that Hispanic voters are being “blindsided” by Democrat policies that don’t align with their values as a community.

Luna, a political outsider who has never held elected office, has served for the past year as the state director for the New Mexico LEXIT movement, a faith-based organization aimed at educating and empowering Latino Americans with conservative values to leave the Democrat Party.

He believes Latinos are “being awakened” to just how contrasting their values are to the policies being pushed by Democrats, and that such a shift could lead New Mexico, a state with a population made up of nearly 50% Hispanics, to flip red in November.

BORDER STATE CANDIDATES ISSUE STARK WARNING TO FELLOW REPUBLICANS ABOUT CEDING TO DEMS ON UKRAINE: ‘BUCKLE UP’

Republican New Mexico Senate candidate Ben Luna speaks at a rally. (Ben Luna)

Advertisement

“The big reason is forcing trans ideologies, and forcing it in schools. That is a deal-breaker for every parent, but especially for Latinos and Hispanics throughout the nation,” Luna said when asked why Latinos were abandoning Democrats, who have traditionally been able to depend on getting a large portion of the community’s support.

“Once you come in, and you have almost, in a sense, bridged the gap to violate the conscience of our children — once you do that, the only result we will ever live with is that you never have access to our children ever again,” he said.

Recent polling suggests Republicans are continuing to gain ground with Latinos, a trend that first gained widespread attention in 2021. One poll even showed President Biden, who won 59% of the Latino vote in 2020, trailing former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 rematch among the demographic.

POLL REVEALS ALARMING LEVEL OF FEAR OF WHETHER 2024 ELECTIONS WILL BE ‘FAIR,’ BALLOT COUNTING ACCURATE

According to Luna, Democrats have created what he called a “nonstop movement” that won’t end until those implementing such policies are voted out of office and the education system is fixed.

Advertisement

Republican New Mexico Senate candidate Ben Luna (lower front right) with fellow members of the LEXIT movement at a Turning Point USA event. (Ben Luna)

“That’s the dangerous part, and if you kind of look at the parallels of history, that’s what communists did, that’s what socialists did. They got access to the children and forced their ideologies and then produced a generation that they could use in the future. And that’s what we’re seeing in the streets of America,” he said.

Luna said one of the movement’s priorities was to reach Democrats in Albuquerque, a stronghold for the party, as well as in the northern parts of the state, and share information about what legislation Democrats are actually supporting, something he says often goes unseen and unheard of.

BIDEN CONTINUES BLEEDING SUPPORT FROM KEY VOTER GROUPS AS DEMS SOUND ALARM OVER 2024: POLL

“Once they hear about it, they’re like, ‘My party passed that?’ Then they start to distance themselves. We almost have instant volunteers,” he added.

Advertisement

Although elections analysts and party pollsters view New Mexico as a safe seat for Democrats, Luna argues results of recent elections in the state show victory well within reach for Republicans.

Republican New Mexico Senate candidate and LEXIT movement leader Ben Luna speaks at a rally. (Ben Luna)

“Something very, very interesting that happened in 2022 is we lost a lot of state House seats by less than 100 votes, and that was because they shut down our economy. [Democrats] stopped everything here. We had some of the worst Draconian policies and mandates being forced on New Mexicans,” he said, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Luna claimed such policies drove people to leave New Mexico, and that topping them now with transgender ideology and bypassing parental consent would drive those still in the state toward Republicans.

BATTLEGROUND STATE POSES BIDEN’S TOUGHEST 2024 CHALLENGE IN POTENTIAL TRUMP REMATCH

Advertisement

“I always say this about Republican states and blue states: We in blue states have a lot to fight for. Like we have a lot. And it’s nobody fighting for us. We have to stand for ourselves,” he said.

Luna told Fox that he intends to bring his knowledge of, and high esteem for, America’s founding principles to office if elected, and that he would focus heavily on securing the southern border amid the massive influx of migrants under the Biden administration.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) arrives to a hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“I think the biggest issue is really our border … With Texas fortifying their borders and then Arizona doing their best as well, it makes us wide open, like a funnel. And so we get a lot of the crime that comes along with the drug pushing,” he said. 

“If we don’t have borders, then we’re technically not a nation. And from seeing what happened to Israel by just only a thousand that came across their border, a lot of people are actually bracing themselves for something to happen in New Mexico and America,” he said. 

Advertisement

 

Luna currently faces no other major candidates in the race for the Republican Senate nomination, and would likely face incumbent two-term Democrat Sen. Martin Heinrich in the general election.

The primary is scheduled for June 4, and the filing deadline for candidates to enter the race is Feb. 6.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Southwest

Texas voters approve requiring judges to deny bail for certain violent felony charges

Published

on

Texas voters approve requiring judges to deny bail for certain violent felony charges

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that requires judges deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent felonies.

Proposition 3, also known as Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SJR 5), expands bail denial eligibility to those charged with murder, capital murder or certain aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, indecency with a child and human trafficking.

Judges shall deny bail to defendants they believe are likely to skip court or pose a clear threat to public safety, according to the amendment.

Judges will then have to provide a written order explaining their decision.

Advertisement

ALABAMA SHOOTING SUSPECT WALKS FREE ON $60K BOND AS COMMUNITY DEMANDS HE STAY LOCKED UP

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that requires judges to deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent felonies. (iStock)

More than 60% of Texas voters supported Proposition 3 at the ballots, according to data compiled early Wednesday morning.

A woman carries a sample ballot as she walks to a polling station in San Antonio, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Critics of the amendment argue it violates the freedoms of those accused of certain crimes, especially those who are falsely accused, and drives up the state’s already overcrowded jails, the Texas Tribune reported.

Advertisement

SLAIN MOTORCYCLIST’S SWEETHEART SAYS %50K BAIL FOR MURDER SUSPECT WITH CRIMINAL RECORD LEFT HER ‘HOPELESS’

Supporters of the state’s broader bail reform crackdown have said the amendment will improve public safety by keeping high-risk defendants in custody before trial and improve current bail laws that fail to protect public safety.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announces a new public safety initiative to combat violent crime in Greater Houston during a press conference in Houston, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Gov. Greg Abbott posted his support for Proposition 3 on social media last month.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

“Murderers belong behind bars. Not set free to kill again like what happened in Houston and other places,” Abbott wrote. “Proposition 3 on the ballot this November needs your vote to ensure Texas keeps the most dangerous criminals behind bars.”

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southwest

Texas passes constitutional amendment explicitly prohibiting noncitizen voting

Published

on

Texas passes constitutional amendment explicitly prohibiting noncitizen voting

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Texans overwhelmingly approved a proposal to amend the Lone Star State constitution to stipulate that individuals who are not U.S. citizens are not permitted to vote in the state.

Unofficial results indicate that the proposition decisively passed by just under 72% of the vote.

SJR 37, which is linked to the ballot proposition, indicates that the language, “persons who are not citizens of the United States” will be added to the constitution’s list of classes of people who are not allowed to vote in Texas.

TEXAS RACE TO REPLACE DECEASED DEMOCRAT ADVANCES TO RUNOFF

Advertisement

The Texas flag flies over the circuit prior to the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of the United States at the Circuit of the Americas on Oct. 18, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

The state’s election code already indicates that an individual must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible to register as a voter in the state.

Federal law generally deems it unlawful for aliens to vote in elections for president, vice president, presidential elector, House, Senate, delegate from Washington, D.C., or resident commissioner.

TEXAS VOTERS APPROVE REQUIRING JUDGES TO DENY BAIL FOR CERTAIN VIOLENT FELONY CHARGES

Voting booths are seen at Glass Elementary School’s polling station in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Nov. 8, 2022.  (MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)

Advertisement

“It is now in our Constitution that only US citizens can vote in Texas elections,” Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, declared in a post on X.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott poses on the field prior to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 1, 2025. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Abbott also weighed in on Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral contest.

“Join me for a moment of silence for NYC. Thoughts & prayers,” the governor wrote, adding the praying hands emoji in a post on X.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southwest

Fury erupts after accused teen sex predator dodges prison; families swarm courthouse demanding judge’s head

Published

on

Fury erupts after accused teen sex predator dodges prison; families swarm courthouse demanding judge’s head

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Backlash is intensifying in Oklahoma after a teenager accused in a series of violent sex assaults avoided prison time, prompting swarms of people to protest outside a courthouse amid renewed scrutiny of how the justice system handled the case.

Images show more than a hundred people gathering outside the Payne County Courthouse Wednesday carrying signs demanding justice after 18-year-old Jesse Butler avoided prison under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, The Oklahoman reported.

“Ponca Tribal Victim Services is standing in solidarity with survivors demanding Justice!,” the organization wrote in a post on Facebook. “Jesse Butler needs to be held accountable! Payne county Judge Susan Worthington should be disbarred.”

The demonstrations followed days of anger online and in the community after Butler, who pleaded no contest to multiple sex assault charges, received a 78-year sentence that was suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, allowing him to remain free if he completes court-ordered rehabilitation.

Advertisement

NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO SHOWS COPS CUFFING TEEN LINKED TO VIOLENT SEX ASSAULT SCANDAL THAT HAS FAMILIES FUMING

Demonstrators gather to protest the Jesse Butler case outcome outside Payne County Courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

A spokesperson for Stillwater Public Schools told Fox News Digital that staff had met with police last week to prepare for possible protests, designating areas for demonstrators and media and placing extra officers on campus “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We condemn sexual assault and violence in all its forms,” the school district shared in a statement. “Our thoughts, prayers and hopes for justice are with the victims in our community and everywhere.”

The Stillwater Police Department said in a release it is working with Stillwater Public Schools to investigate “recent phone calls and messages to the district regarding the enrollment of student Jesse Butler.”

Advertisement

“While the language used in the phone calls and messages are vague and not directed at specific school sites, students or staff, all concerning communications and any potential threats are taken seriously and investigated fully,” the department wrote.

FAMILIES OUTRAGED AFTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN VIOLENT SEX ASSAULT CASES AVOIDS PRISON AS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER

A protester raises a sign that says “Hold Jesse Responsible” during a demonstration outside the courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Authorities said additional patrols have been added out of an abundance of caution. Butler, who was previously a Stillwater student, does not attend in person and is barred from school property and events, police confirmed.

A newly released body camera video shows the moment Butler was arrested last year, part of an investigation that began after multiple girls accused him of brutal sexual assaults.

Advertisement

WATCH: Police bodycam shows arrest of Oklahoma teen Jesse Butler 

Then 17, Butler pleaded no contest to 10 rape-related charges and one count of violating a protective order. Although he received a 78-year sentence, the term was suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, allowing him to remain free if he meets strict rehabilitation terms.

KENTUCKY JUDGE KILLED IN CHAMBERS ACCUSED OF TRADING SEXUAL FAVORS FOR INFLUENCE AT WILD PARTIES

Victims’ families and community members have condemned the outcome. Some protesters on Wednesday held signs noting Butler’s connection to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where his father is the former director of football operations.

Opponents of Jesse Butler hold signs denouncing the court’s decision outside the Payne County Courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Advertisement

“As a mom, I never thought I’d have to watch my daughter fight this kind of battle, one where she had to prove she was the victim over and over again,” one mother told KOCO. “The justice system failed her.”

One victim said Butler strangled her, and a doctor warned that she could have died had it lasted “seconds longer,” according to a police affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Jesse Butler in a baseball uniform before the criminal allegations came to light. (Risin Baseball)

The Payne County District Attorney’s Office said the decision to pursue the case under the youthful offender law was based on Butler’s age at the time of the crimes. The office said the law allows supervision “until the defendant’s 19th birthday” and gives a chance for rehabilitation “while still holding him accountable.”

Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey, R-Okla., called the ruling “unacceptable” and said he plans to petition for a grand jury review.

Advertisement

“If that don’t set you on fire, your wood’s wet,” Humphrey previously told Fox News Digital. “You know what I mean? You’ve got a bad deal. That sets me on fire.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Court documents show Butler remains under Office of Juvenile Affairs supervision, required to complete therapy, counseling, more than 100 hours of community service, daily check-ins and weekly sessions. He’s banned from social media and subject to curfew restrictions.

If Butler violates any terms, the court could enforce his full 78-year sentence. His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Payne County District Court.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending