Gas, fertilizer, and grocery prices keep climbing while healthcare funding declines
In Hanford, California, Rep. David Valadao is fighting for reelection in a Central Valley district that has trended Republican in recent cycles. His rural, heavily Latino district lies deep in the state’s farm belt, where highways cross stretches of almond groves, cornfields, and dairy feed lots.
The Associated Press reported from Hanford that there are signs across the country that Latinos have grown disenchanted with Trump, especially as gas, fertilizer, and grocery prices keep climbing while funding for healthcare services declines. The AP also reported that the consequences of that disenchantment could be felt in Republican-leaning districts that have helped the party in recent cycles, and that lawmakers like Valadao could pay the price.
According to the AP, Valadao’s fortunes are tied to the leader of his party, even as his record places him at a distance from the president. If reelected, Valadao would be the last member of his caucus who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.