When he was a child, Representative Gabriel Vasquez never heard his parents discuss politics, much less abortion, a topic that was off limits in many Mexican Catholic households like his. So he can see why some might think he is taking a risk by focusing on abortion rights in campaigning to Latino men.
For decades, Democrats saw the issue as a losing one with Latinos, who tended to be more religious and to say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Some strategists still consider it a risky subject among Hispanic men, who have typically expressed more concern about the economy.
But Mr. Vasquez, who represents a border district in New Mexico, and several other Hispanic male Democratic candidates said there was no avoiding the abortion debate this year. They point to polling and Democratic electoral victories in the two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned that capture how Latinos’ views on the issue have reversed.
The right to abortion has taken on new urgency especially for Latinas, who have been stirred by accounts of pregnant women facing life-threatening situations and having to travel thousands of miles for reproductive care.
Mr. Vasquez said abortion rights could resonate with Latino men as much as it has with women, because at its core is personal freedom, a value that attracts many immigrants to the United States.
“It is not about whether we are pro-choice or pro-life. It is about trusting the people that we love to make those decisions for themselves,” he said in an interview. His parents disagree on abortion, he added, but they “are both pro-personal decision.”
