The New GOP has changed a lot in a short time, moving quickly away from its old image of grumpy old men harrumphing over cigars during Ugly Pants Night at the local Chamber of Commerce.
It’s looking, finally, much more like a grand old party.
Today I’d like to introduce you to two of the congressional candidates who are beneficiaries of the New GOP — and movers of it, too.
I had a little birdie whisper in my ear last night that Virginia’s 7th Congressional District is one of those races to watch on election night. There, Republican Yesli Vega is taking on two-term Democrat incumbent Abigail Spanberger.
Vega is the daughter of refugees from El Salvador’s civil war. She and her husband, Army vet Rene, have two children. Vega got her start in Virginia law enforcement, working as a patrol officer, field training officer, hostage negotiator, and crisis intervention team member.
She successfully ran for an open seat on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in 2019. As her campaign website puts it:
Due to her commitment to advocating and fighting for conservative principles, Yesli won the Republican nomination with over 80% of the vote. She then won the general election in her Democrat leaning district by thirteen points in a blue wave year, not by running away from her conservative principles, but by boldly proclaiming them.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin was so impressed that he named Vega his Hispanic outreach chair during his successful run to unseat Democrat Ralph Northam in 2021.
Most important to me, personally, is that Vega is on the front line of protecting kids from groomers in our schools.
Spanberger’s screaming fits are because boys can’t go into girls restrooms or dominate girls sports in Virginia.
Spanberger is out of touch with #VA7.https://t.co/EiWfveQ4QE
— Yesli Vega (@yestoyesli) September 22, 2022
The district is ranked by Cook as R+3, so what makes this a race to watch? Shouldn’t Vega be a shoo-in?
For starters, Virginia is on the East Coast and the polls there close relatively early at 7 p.m. local. We should see returns there early, giving us an indicator of which party is really generating enthusiasm and — more importantly — turnout.
The 7th had been in Republican hands for nearly 50 years before Spanberger defeated Dave Brat in 2018. That was a bad year for the GOP, but Spanberger won reelection in 2020, when Republicans did well in congressional races.
If someone as young and relatively inexperienced as Vega can score a big win against a “moderate” Democrat incumbent, then it looks to be a good night across the rest of the nation for the New GOP. For the Old GOP, too (if to a lesser extent), but that’s a column for another day.
Now let’s go to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, where even drop-dead blue, Hispanic-dominated congressional districts have been tinting a bit redder in recent years.
Since its formation in 1920, the Texas 15th CD has never once sent a Republican to Congress, but this might just be the year, thanks to Monica De La Cruz. The Texas Tribune calls it the state’s “most competitive congressional race.”
For Republicans, it’s a redo of the 2020 election, when De La Cruz came within less than 3 percentage points of unseating Gonzalez in the traditionally Democratic district. But this round, De La Cruz has a massive campaign pocketbook, reporting nearly $3 million in receipts by the end of June, in contrast to the approximately $422,000 raised in the entire 2020 cycle.
A Brownsville native and raised by a single mom, De La Cruz grew to be a successful insurance agency owner and ran two other small businesses.
Here’s her latest ad:
Notice she bills herself as a conservative Republican in a swing district — one who promises to restore Donald Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy, finish building the border wall, and end catch-and-release. That should tell you something about voter moods in the 15th.
Redistricting made the old D+7 district into a R+1, according to Cook Political. Democrat incumbent Vicente Gonzalez tucked tail to run in the redrawn 34th, a friendlier one for Dems.
Trump gave De La Cruz his “complete and total endorsement” back in February. Partly as a result, she enjoys a huge cash advantage.
In the De La Cruz race, I’m less concerned with the outcome than I am with the candidate. The Old GOP is older, more male, and whiter. The New GOP trends towards younger, more female, and more Hispanic.
Also — and contrary to Democrat hopes of demographic doom — this more diverse GOP is also becoming more conservative. Senator Mitt Romney might look the part, but conservative voters would much prefer a Vega or a De La Cruz to even one more minute of Mittens.
It’s an amazing change we’re witnessing and a sometimes wrenching one.
But I’m so fascinated by it that I’d like to make “Meet the New GOP” a weekly column, at least through this election — and hopefully longer. Hopefully, much longer.
If that’s the kind of reporting you’d like to support, then please let me invite you to become one of our PJ Media VIP supporters. Members enjoy an ad-free experience, access to our (nearly!) troll-free comments section, and exclusive columns from your favorite writers. VIP Gold members get all that, plus exclusive video Live Chats here and at all six of Townhall’s conservative websites.
You can join us here, and don’t forget that VODKAPUNDIT promo code for a lovely 25% discount.
But whatever you do, don’t forget to get out and vote — for the New GOP.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member