CLEVELAND – Kentucky state Sen. Ralph Alvarado accused Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of failing Hispanics and said she doesn’t deserve support from the increasingly important group.

Speaking at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, Alvarado said the party embodies Hispanic values, even though Republican nominee Donald Trump faces a wide gap against Clinton among Hispanics.

“At their core, Hispanics believe what Republicans believe – traditional family values, church, faith in God, the dignity of work, and the opportunity for self-sufficiency that comes from a free society and a limited government,” said Alvarado, the first Hispanic elected to Kentucky’s state Senate.

President Barack Obama, he said, “has not only failed to end racial tension, he has made us more divided than ever.”

He said Obama is “itching to restrict our fundamental rights, such as religious liberty, the right to bear arms, and free speech.”

If Clinton is elected, he said, “this eight-year nightmare will get far, far worse.”

Kery Murakami is the Washington, D.C. reporter for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach him at kmurakami@cnhi.com and @CNHIDC on Twitter.