Herman Badillo (1929–2014) was the first Puerto Rican elected to several posts in the New York City area, including serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. A strong Democratic supporter for much of his early political career, Badillo became disenchanted with the New York Democratic Party, chiding the party as being too originalist in its message and not adapting with the problems of the 1970s through early 2000s. He also noted that the New York Democratic Party was plagued with corruption and failed to tackle certain problems that were harming the city, such as crime, poverty, and theft, and instead was focused on getting votes. Badillo’s eventual alignment with the Republican Party, particularly with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, represented a shift in political affiliations among Latinx communities toward more conservative policies, such as those affiliated with the Republican Party.