(The Center Square) – The battleground state of Pennsylvania became ground zero in the 2024 general election, with Democrats and Republicans alike viewing it as a winner-take-all contest.

Both parties also courted the state’s Latino population, whose votes proved pivotal in securing a decisive victory for Donald Trump.

Pennsylvania has the tenth-largest population of Latino eligible voters in the country. Their numbers grew from 208,000 in 2020 to 580,000 in 2024. Their votes are also shifting from what was traditionally Democrat to Republican. Nationally, Trump received over 43% of the Latino vote, up from 35% in 2020.

Following remarks made by a comedian prior to the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden last month calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” reactions were mixed. And while attempts by Democrats tried to link Trump to the comment to sway Latino voters, it appears many dismissed those efforts.

Robert Albino, the Hispanic outreach director for the Pennsylvania Family Council and a faith leader in Bethlehem, said the community spoke.

Albino told The Center Square he thinks the most significant result of this election is the growing strength of the Latino vote, which should not be ignored or taken for granted.

He said it also shows America that their cultural and social worldview is leaning towards “a more common sense, free economy, freedom-based platform, than it is towards government handouts, censorship, and victimization.”

He accused Democrats of using the comedian’s comment as an opportunity to turn the Puerto Rican community into victims, instead of focusing on the community’s needs, adding, “It shows they don’t get what we’re after as American citizens – as contributors, moms, dads, and as working-class people.”

Because they are a minority demographic does not mean they are going to embrace the way the Democrat party has always treated minorities, he said.

From his experience, many in the Latino community do not buy into the divisive political narratives or get caught up in the rhetoric; rather, they focus on issues that affect them.

“They want change,” he said, “and a leader who will work toward a thriving economy.”

“Harris had an opportunity to tell us how she would be that agent of change, and she failed,” Albino said. And, he added, many Latinos do not think they are better off now than they were four years ago, and they sent a resounding message. “We’ve shown that you’re not going to turn us into victims.”

Latino voters who supported Trump also took issue with Democratic campaign messages and media figures using terms like “Nazi” to describe him or claiming that votes for Trump are votes for bigotry or racism, said Albino.

Critical of the left’s “extreme agenda,” he advocates for a country where both parties have equal opportunity to make their case to all of the electorate – regardless of race, sexuality, or religion – and be held to a certain value set. He noted that at present, those values are better represented on the Republican side.

Albino has a message for Republicans; he said they will need to be held accountable for not drifting too far right. Because their votes represent their values, they should continue to be represented. “We need to see that in the way you govern, not just in the way you campaign.”

He said the people in his community feel excited and optimistic about the changes coming – particularly regarding the economy.

The Center Square was unable to reach PA Dems for comment.

The party’s Black and Latino Caucus chairs, however, previously denounced the rally comments as racist, derogatory and dehumanizing.