Democrats and GOP tussle over talk radio in bid for Latino voters

“Buenos Dias Americanos!” Nelson Rubio leans into the microphone. It’s 6 a.m. and Mr. Rubio is already raring to go. Over the next three hours, the right-wing radio host will sound off on everything from the fitful election of a new House speaker in Washington to the Biden administration’s regional diplomacy – “These are people who negotiate with dictators,” he says.

Mr. Rubio’s show used to be one of the signature programs on Miami’s Radio Mambí.

But last summer, the conservative station was sold to an unlikely buyer: Latino Media Network, a startup run by two Democratic operatives with financing from mega-donor George Soros. In fact, this new network bought 18 Spanish-language stations spanning from New York to Nevada and beyond.

Meanwhile Mr. Rubio’s new employer is a conservative media startup that also aims for a national audience.

The shifts signal a national battle to win over Latino voters, a fast-growing demographic that has long leaned Democratic but has lately grown more receptive to Republicans.

“Both sides are trying to capitalize on an audience that’s growing in numbers and being decisive on candidates’ future,” says Christian Ulvert, a strategic adviser to the Biden campaign in Florida in 2020.

“Buenos Dias Americanos!” Nelson Rubio leans into the microphone. It’s 6 a.m. and the sun has yet to rise on this metro area of 6 million, but Mr. Rubio – wearing a blue shirt under a gray checked jacket with a red pocket square – is already raring to go. Over the next three hours, as Miami’s highways start to congeal with commuters, the right-wing radio host will sound off on everything from the fitful election in Washington of new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – “There is no Congress! It’s not getting done” – to the Biden administration’s regional diplomacy – “These are people who negotiate with dictators.” 

Mr. Rubio’s show used to be one of the signature programs on Miami’s Radio Mambí, a popular station and enduring symbol of identity among Cuban exiles. Mambí has been broadcasting here since the days of the Reagan administration and was for years a fixture for Republican candidates seeking Cuban-American votes in South Florida.

But last summer, Mambí was sold to an unlikely buyer: Latino Media Network (LMN), a startup run by two Democratic operatives with financing from mega-donor George Soros. The sale set off a political firestorm in Florida, where Republicans warned of left-wing censorship and propaganda. 

And it wasn’t just Mambí that changed hands. In all, LMN bought 18 Spanish-language stations in Florida, New York, Illinois, Arizona, California, Texas, and Nevada. 

The $60 million takeover – and the reactions it has sparked – is another flashpoint in the national battle to win over Latino voters, a fast-growing demographic that has long leaned Democratic but has lately grown more receptive to Republicans. So far, most Spanish-language radio in the U.S. has been focused on music and entertainment, not news or commentary. Which in the eyes of many makes it an untapped and lucrative means of political persuasion.