Republican Women’s Latina President
BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
Ending Division
A changing of the guard has taken place in the Blaine County Republican Women’s group (BCRW). With new president Tania Lopez and treasurer Andrea Parker, young and active mothers, the group has set its sights on increasing education and awareness in the community—to remind people of the values enshrined in the Constitution of the United States through cooperation across party lines.
“The thing is we’re all humans, we’re all Americans and we have to do this together,” said Lopez. “We can have different opinions—yes please, they make for good conversation!” she added.
Lopez speaks fluidly and with a definitive honesty. “I don’t believe in fighting with the other side, you know, slandering or mudslinging. I don’t believe in silencing people. All of our voices need to be heard.”
Latina First Lady
Born in Twin Falls and raised in Bellevue, Idaho, president Lopez’s family is from Jalisco, Mexico—the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, as it’s officially known. She is Mexican and Indigenous Peruvian, specifically of the Quechua of Peru, who are the largest Indigenous population group in South America.
Growing up in a single-parent home, Lopez knows what it’s like to do without. “I come from nothing. I’ve been there and you know it was family that kept us going.My people are well-known for our family values and traditions. My mom worked her butt off, she bought our little trailer and kept us fed, in school and in our faith. My aunties and uncles were always there to talk to for advice or questions.”
Lopez attended Wood River High School in Hailey, achieving a diploma from Silver Creek High School, also Hailey, to graduate early. She attended college but left to stay home with her children, focusing on building a strong family when her husband went into the military as an infantryman. Lopez and her husband were high school sweethearts whose love and dedication to family has kept them together for nearly 15 years. Firmly American, their family is a military family. “It wasn’t easy,” said Lopez. “I cried but my husband told me ‘I’m the man of the house, I’m going to provide for my family and I want to serve my country.’ And I got it… and you know, to some it seems so extreme—the willingness to defend your country—but that’s where values come in. Conservative values speak for themselves. I think Latinos in particular are almost conservative by nature. We have big, strong families, we’re faith-based and we like to work hard. A strong family unit leads to a strong community and a strong community spreads out into a strong nation.
Faith is a core value for Lopez. As a Baptist Christian, she acknowledges the role faith has played in the well-being of her family and community and as a constitutionalist she firmly holds that even still there is a need for separation of church and state.
“My main goals, really… I want to grow the group and help conservative values grow in the community. However, I don’t partake in the division. That’s where you could say, while I am Republican and somewhat Libertarian, I’m more of a constitutionalist. I don’t believe in slandering or attacking the other side. They have the same rights I have even if I don’t agree with their opinions.”
American Treasure, Mrs. Parker
New treasurer Andrea Parker comes to the group in much the same way. Parker is an Idahoan mother of four who has also built a strong family with her husband for over 15 years. Born and raised in Idaho, Parker has been a treasurer on numerous local and state campaigns—she’s been behind the scenes and has a feel for what needs to change.
“I feel like when the founding fathers created our republic, initially, serving office was supposed to be an actual type of service, almost even a hardship, and temporary. We’ve gotten away from that. These career politicians that try to represent us are so far removed from the issues that everyday citizens deal with that it’s hard to feel adequately represented. With our group’s effort, I hope we can see more real Americans step up and serve their country and the state of Idaho. I want to see everyone’s rights respected and I think we can do that. I think, in the community, we can show that we are Constitutionally minded… Democrats included, that our rights and their rights both mean something and we’d like to play fairly and not be viewed as the enemy.”
Lopez and Parker are both extremely expressive about the new board being equitable and service-oriented. Parker speaks with determination. “The new board is younger, we have families and so it is a service that we’re doing and it might even be a little harder for us than maybe someone who’s retired.” Dedication, commitment, unity—these are the constants and themes of the new board running the BCRW.
When either woman speaks, it’s clear that they’re willing to lead by example and put in the work for what they want to see in their community. Lopez is adamant about education and both for the community as a whole, as Americans, and the individual community members that need it most.
“We really need to focus on Idaho kids. Higher literacy rates, higher math skills. Mental health is a huge issue. We have to lower the depression and suicide rates. So many people right here in our community have committed suicide this year.”
Lopez has firsthand knowledge. She worked with the family of a recently deceased 14-year-old who committed suicide in Blaine County. “His youngest brother was one of my students when I worked at the preschool. It hurts and that’s where the fight is. Our politics may differ but we can’t ignore the problems with the children in the community. We’re all doing this together, as a community.”
And How
“It’s important that we value one another and value the fact that our differences in belief are what create great ideas, great debates… we can’t silence one another. And I think that the things we [BCRW] are trying to bring in, like getting parents way more involved, showing them they have the right to speak up at the school district, you know, even California, which is maybe the most liberal state, it’s in the law, and we’re a red state and not practicing our First Amendment rights and I think we can all agree as Americans that is a right, it’s a middleground for both sides.”
As a child who went to public school, a mother with children to educate, and as a tutor, Lopez has seen all sides of the academic paradigm. She knows firsthand how racism affects youth. “In an after-school program where I worked, we were required to take a class; it was basically anti-white and they told us that all the things that we do to succeed, like being clean, being on time, that it’s all the influence of white people, of white supremacy. It gave us the idea that to be a real Hispanic, that hasn’t been influenced by ‘white’ people, I had to be ghetto and dirty and late.That’s where I can’t stay silent. I won’t allow anyone to silence me. They straight up said they wanted to get all the little boys and give them a lesson on toxic masculinity because they all came from toxic households because they’re Mexican. I quit that organization in tears. How dare they say that and here I am brown with black hair.”
Women, Men and Media
“The media and others like to label the Republican Party as racist and I’ve seen it in schools. Kids are told this and they avoid certain schools that get labeled as Republican schools because they’re afraid they’ll be discriminated against. It’s incredible. As a constitutional Republican, I’m living proof and I want to show the Latino community that the Republican Party is welcoming of all. And it’s clear, the values of the Latino community reflect conservative values inherently. And while I’m Christian, and I want to see my children take on those Christian values, you know, maybe I don’t want other faiths influencing my kids through school, but I respect their faith as well and if they feel the same, you know, school is for teaching children things like mathematics and reading comprehension, so if we’re going to take one out, take them all out.” Lopez is willing to create a fair and equitable playing field for all, with the kids being of utmost importance.
Parker speaks of polarization and media tactics. “The media has given us a bad name, that everyone in the Republican Party is far right. That’s not at all how it is and we want to let people see that we’re not the Republican Party the media is bashing. We want it to be clear that we are taking a Big Tent approach, a Constitutional approach, and show the community that we want to include everyone. You can show up to one of our meetings. You can go online and join us. If you’re not sure, or you’re just thinking about it, you can volunteer. We’ll get you involved and you can see if you agree with what we’re doing.”
BCRW is a women’s group. Does that mean men, too?
“Our events are open to everyone. Men are always invited and always show up.I think it’s time that both sides come to an agreement that we’re all humans, we’re all Americans, we all believe in community and love our families and children. And though we may approach it in different ways, at the end of the day we live in this country together and it’s important that we value one another and value our differences.”
“We want to be a beacon of light for family values, social cohesion and a strong united country,” says Lopez with a smile in her voice.
One of the goals of the BCRW is to create a youth group and crucial is informing members, as time is of the essence, of upcoming legislation and events where they can make their voice heard. From public barbecues, to local debates, family-oriented events and new social media events, the BCRW group is in a major transition with big plans for the year. The next event is already scheduled for February 22, with details coming soon.
The Blaine County Republican Women’s group can be found online at https://bcrwidaho.com/. Membership fees are a $40 general membership for women with $30 associate memberships for men.