Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani could be the rising star Republicans need

This isn't the last America will hear from Rep. Juan Ciscomani.

The Republican representing Arizona's 6th Congressional District was sworn in last month. On Tuesday, he delivered the Spanish-language response to the State of the Union.

Delivering a SOTU rebuttal is always a tough gig. The few that are remembered are the most gaffe-prone. Sen. Marco Rubio lunging for an off-camera water bottle. Rep. Joe Kennedy III licking his oily lips.

Ciscomani not only avoided errors but delivered an inspired celebration of the American Dream, given extra gravity by his personal story.

'This can only happen here,' he said

As a boy, his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Old Pueblo. With the stability provided by his hard-working parents, he was the first in his family to graduate from college.

After serving as senior adviser and vice-chair of Gov. Doug Ducey’s Arizona-Mexico Commission, Ciscomani became the first naturalized American from Mexico to be elected to the U.S. House from Arizona.

The freshman talked about his father’s love of country, quoting him in his speech Tuesday night. "I drove a bus most of my life, and my son is now a member of the United States Congress."

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"Where else can we have our story?" the son continued. "The answer is simple: nowhere else in the world. This can only happen here, in the United States – the country of opportunity."

The optimism was refreshing, following years of partisan harangues, including the two speeches that preceded Ciscomani's.

America needs this kind of positivity

Biden spoke of unity one moment and claimed the GOP threatened to cut Social Security the next. Republicans jeered him and he jeered back.

In the Republican rebuttal, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said "the dividing line in America is no longer between right or left. The choice is between normal or crazy."

Compare that to Ciscomani's translated remarks.

Congressional shift:How Arizona get here and what happens next?

"I truly believe in the American Dream because it is not centered around financial success. It’s about the freedom to pursue happiness," the congressman said. "It’s a dream worth defending, and together we can make it a reality for all."

Even a guy like me with only two years of college Spanish under my belt could understand the message. Any unfamiliar words were filled in by Ciscomani’s confident, smiling delivery.

It was downright Reaganesque, showcasing a liberty-loving positivity all too rare in this era of drama and discord.

Expect to see a lot more of Ciscomani

The question is, how many people actually watched?

Biden's address garnered just over 24 million television viewers, down 29% from last year, and off 37% from 2021. Such a drop is expected for any president, even more so for someone who inspires little passion, for or against.

The audience is always smaller for a response, especially after enduring 70-plus minutes of Joe Biden. The guy isn't exactly known for his eloquence.

Subtract from that the vast non-Spanish-speaking audience, and the Arizona congressman's reach was no doubt small. Nevertheless, Ciscomani did Arizona proud.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the national GOP showed serious confidence in the representative, only 31 days into his term. He also was appointed to the high-profile House Appropriations Committee, a plum assignment for a newbie.

The fact Ciscomani swung Tuesday's response out of the park means Republican leadership will push him to a much broader audience going forward.

Each election cycle, Latino voters are more willing to pull the lever for conservative candidates. If the Grand Old Party wants that trend to continue, they can hardly ask for a better spokesman than Rep. Juan Ciscomani.

Make room, cable-news green rooms: An estrella is born.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. On Twitter: @exjon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: State of the Union response shows Juan Ciscomani is a rising star