Dr. Ivan Melendez, the health authority for Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley, voted for Donald Trump in 2024. Hidalgo County, which is predominantly Hispanic, backed a Republican presidential nominee that year for the first time in more than 50 years, according to the story. Melendez said he chose Trump in large part because he credited him with speeding up the COVID-19 vaccine in early 2020.
Melendez now says he regrets that vote. He said federal program cuts have hurt health departments in the Valley and made insurance coverage harder to get. He said that when it comes to access to health care, he is doing less than before Trump took office. The region has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country.
Melendez said he does not identify with a political party. As of earlier this month, he had not decided whether to vote for Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico, whom he said he worried was too far left. He has previously voted with Democrats and later moved toward conservatives, the story said.