Spanish-language radio show overflows with voter frustration in battleground Pennsylvania

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Just one thing. Just one thing. That’s all Victor Martinez wanted from listeners of his Spanish-language radio station: to tell him one positive thing about President Donald Trump.

The calls started pouring in. Someone mentioned the $5,000 payment promised by Trump if Republicans keep control of Congress, which Martinez found so hilarious he played a laugh track.

Then a trucker shared the positive side of high diesel prices: He was expecting to take an unplanned vacation because he could no longer afford to fuel his vehicle.

Martinez has hosted his show for nearly a decade in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, where Latinos have grown from a fifth to nearly a quarter of the population over the same period. He added an hour of politics to his morning show at the end of Trump’s first term, and listeners flooded his phone with their concerns about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, their dissatisfaction with inflation and their worry about Joe Biden’s age.

Now, halfway through Trump’s second term, Martinez said people are just as frustrated as they were then. They are unhappy with rising fuel and food prices, and Republicans could suffer the consequences in the midterm elections.

“It’s the economy, stupid. It is what it is. I mean, things have gotten so bad,” Martinez said. “People didn’t think Biden was doing a good job. Everything was expensive and now it’s worse.”

Latinos are a key part of a winning coalition

Martinez broadcasts from a fourth-floor studio with hardwood floors and a view of an old church in downtown Allentown. He operates the show’s control panel like a conductor and sits in front of a poster with campaign signs for Democrats and Republicans.

The studio is located in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, where freshman candidate Ryan Mackenzie faces Democratic challenger Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter and union official, in one of the most closely watched races in the country.

Latinos make up about a quarter of the district’s population and they played a key role in Trump’s winning coalition two years ago.

Both candidates have organized Latin American outreach efforts.

Brooks calls his “Bombero Bob” — Spanish for fireman — and recently stopped at a Mexican restaurant and barbershop with a Dominican flag hanging inside. Mackenzie’s campaign enjoyed support from Latino voters and officials, and the congressman opened a district office in downtown Allentown with a Spanish-speaking staff.

Martinez has long criticized the president and this year supported Brooks. But he said his political roots are in the Republican Party. He supported candidates like Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, and opposed Biden’s decision to seek re-election because he was too old.

Martinez said he uses his show to keep people engaged in politics when some despair at the prospect of things getting better.

“I got a call yesterday from a guy who told me he just wasn’t going to vote,” Martinez said. “I understand the feeling of frustration, but doing nothing is not the solution. »

Economic stress threatens the countryside

Republicans know Martinez’s show is a way to reach voters, and they are buying ad time on it.

Jackie Rivera, vice chair of the Lehigh County Republicans, said the party wants to retain the support of Latino voters that Trump won more than two years ago, and that means connecting with them on issues like “faith and family.”

Even though Trump often brags about the economy under his leadership, she said her party isn’t making the same mistake Democrats have made before.

“We’re not pretending that everything is okay right now,” she said. “You have to be honest with them so they can believe in you and actually trust what you’re telling them.”

Matt Tuerk, the Democratic mayor of Allentown, said this year’s election had “the same vibes” as two years ago, when Biden was trying to convince people the economy was strong.

“People on the street were like, ‘Yeah, but my monthly child care bill is higher, then my monthly mortgage, the price of groceries is ridiculously high,'” he said. “It’s the same story you’re hearing right now. There’s been no improvement.”

Gasoline and grocery prices contribute to “day to day” living

Claudia Parrales-DeLeon, a Democratic listener from Allentown, said Martinez’s show helps people feel connected as they pay for more gas and groceries and deal with Trump’s immigration crackdown.

“I don’t know if it makes people less scared, but as much as it makes them more informed,” she said.

She remembers listening to a story from a particular caller one day that brought tears to her eyes.

“This gentleman who talked about how he just lost his job, he can’t find work, doesn’t even know where he’s going to find his next meal for him and his children,” she said.

Alberto Pena doesn’t listen to Martinez regularly, but his concerns are similar. For nearly two decades, Pena and his wife have run a Dominican restaurant in Allentown, where the aroma of crispy pastelillos and savory rice fills the dining room.

He voted for Trump hoping he would change the situation after high inflation under Biden. But they’re still “living day by day” and he’s leaning toward Brooks this year.

“It’s not what we expected,” he said. “The economy is completely grounded.”