Where's Hispanic outreach?

GRANGER, Yakima County — Since at least 1994, America's political parties have made much about reaching out to Hispanic voters.

Spanish-language radio commercials have become a staple of statewide campaigns. Yakima has seen Democrats bring Hispanic members of Congress and former cabinet members such as Henry Cisneros to help get out the vote.

In 2000, Republicans brought George W. Bush's heartthrob Spanish-speaking nephew all the way here to Granger, in the lower Yakima Valley.

But this year the competitive presidential campaign has yet to be translated into Spanish to reach the growing number of Hispanics in Eastern Washington.

Spanish-language public-radio station KDNA in Granger offered two minutes of airtime to any candidate. But station manager Gabriel Martinez said there were few takers.

"For some reason there is not an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign in the area. You'd think with the presidential campaign someone would be doing something," Martinez said.

"I'm still waiting to hear from them."

I drove from Yakima to Granger on the back roads and saw just one campaign sign, and that was for Ron Paul.

If there was any concerted effort to reach Hispanics, Martinez likely would know. KDNA is a news staple for Yakima Valley Hispanics. The station hosted a debate in 1994 between Spanish-speaking surrogates for U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton and his Democratic challenger, Ron Sims.

KDNA has operated for nearly 30 years out of a 100-year-old, two-story brick building that once housed the Highland Hotel and then a girls academy. A new building is going up next door and the station hopes to be on the air from its new quarters in May.

Martinez says Gov. Christine Gregoire has said she'll attend the ribbon-cutting. That may be the height of political appearances for the year.

"I don't have big hopes," he said. "We get the son-in-law or daughter-in-law, or Bush's nephew. We did get a call from Bill Clinton once."

Clinton called to urge people to vote, and KDNA recorded the call to replay as a public-service announcement.

There is an opportunity coming up that may attract politicians' attention. An internationally broadcast Spanish-language talk show will produce its program from KDNA for four days in early February, right before Washington's Democratic and Republican presidential caucuses on Feb. 9.

"Linea Abierta" ("Open Line") is a public-radio program that usually broadcasts out of Fresno and reaches throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico. The show runs at noon each weekday on KDNA.

There will be a community forum with "Linea Abierta's" host and executive producer, Samuel Orozco. Martinez hopes that spurs interest in voter registration and voting.

Whenever the station broadcasts a talk show, Martinez says, the subject quickly turns to U.S. immigration policy.

In Granger, he says, there's not much debate among the locals about immigration. Many of the small businesses here are Latino-owned and -operated. But Martinez says it's different in Yakima and other spots in the valley.

"Racism and discrimination are still alive and kicking in this area," he said.

Martinez said that most working-class Hispanics and new citizens tend to vote Democratic. The professional class, he said, leans more Republican. But they also don't stick around Granger or the Yakima Valley.

"Eventually they move to Seattle or Portland," he said.

Even as national campaigns and parties ignore the Yakima Valley, there are some strong hints of political change here. Last year was not a good one for incumbents. Longtime legislator state Sen. Jim Clements, R-Selah, was defeated in the primary. Five mayors in the valley lost re-election bids, either in the primary or general election.

Granger's new mayor is Ramona Fonseca, the city's first woman and first Hispanic to be elected to the post. She defeated a 12-year incumbent.

David Postman is The Seattle Times' chief political reporter. Reach him at 360-236-8267 or at dpostman@seattletimes.com