Ted Cruz win: A crucial gain for Hispanic Republicans in Texas

In this May 3, 2012 file photo, U.S. Senate candidate Republican Ted Cruz participates in a live debate at the University of Houston in Houston.(AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Mayra Beltran)

Hispanic Republicans in Texas can be encouraged by results from this week’s primary because it suggests that a Latino last name may no longer spell doom in statewide elections, theTexas Tribune reported Friday.

Most notable among these names in Ted Cruz, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, who stunned the Texas GOP establishment by forcing a run-off with front-runner Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the multimillionaire whose seat is considered the most powerful political position in the state. Beyond the significance played by the tea party in handing Cruz a second chance is the significance that his Hispanic last name seemed not to matter among voters, the Tribune said.

As more Hispanics test their GOP electoral mettle in this solidly Republican state, they must confront the ghosts of Hispanic Republicanspast.

And that ghost has always seemed to look unfavorably at Hispanic Republicans who ran for statewide office, the Tribune reported. Among this trail of tears are such names as Xavier Rodriguez, Tony Garza and Victor Carrillo — each rising political stars from elections past who were knocked out of their respective races in GOP primaries.

In each case, the Tribune reported, observers said the candidates’ Hispanic surnames were a contributing factor in the losses.

But this year could be the year of the ghost buster thanks to Cruz.

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