Two years after Latino voters helped President Donald Trump return to the White House, the political priorities of the Latino electorate are again drawing national attention.
With rising living costs and immigration enforcement striking a nerve in Latino communities, Latino voters could play a significant role in deciding key congressional races in the 2026 midterm elections.
As with other voters around the country, the economy and inflation are top of mind: Pew Research reported in October that 86% of Latino registered voters say the economy is “very important” when it comes to how they plan to vote for members of Congress.
Latinos are weighing issues that include access to health care, education, concerns over the future of democracy and heavy-handed immigration policies. The Trump administration has been enforcing its mass-deportation agenda, resulting in immigration arrests across the U.S. that have heavily targeted Latino communities.
The question now is how all this will translate to the midterm results.
Historically, a majority of Latino voters have leaned towards the Democratic Party, with some notable exceptions, particularly in Florida. But more recently, Latinos have emerged as swing voters whose support can determine critical elections.
In 2024, Trump drew significant support from Latinos that helped him land a second term. That support appears to be declining now, however, as the administration enforces policies that are affecting Latino families on a personal level.
Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, says several competitive congressional districts in states like California, Texas and Florida have a large share of Latino voters – and their shifting attitudes could help determine the outcome of these elections.
“Latinos are a large proportion of many of those districts, not all, but many,” Romero said.
But Romero cautions that even if Latino voters in key races shift to the left, compared with how they voted in the 2024 presidential election, it does not signify a permanent political change.
“I think particularly for the Latino electorate, they are not aligned with any party necessarily,” Romero said.
Trump support contends with inflation
Back in the 2024 presidential election, Melaine Rosas’ father voted for Trump.
“I wasn’t really surprised, because I’ve always known he’s a Trump supporter,” said Rosas, a senior computer science and business administration major at USC. She said she and her mom typically support Democrats.
Rosas said her dad supported Trump because of concerns he had over immigration and border security, during Joe Biden’s presidential term.
Her dad’s overall political views have not changed, Rosas says – but lately, he has expressed frustration about the rise in gas prices.
Here, Rosas shares her father’s frustration. Rising prices for gas and basic essential needs have become the most concerning issue for her in the upcoming midterm election.
“I think cost of living would be my number one, because everything has raised the price, and I even felt the effect,” Rosas said.
Rosas and her family are not alone. The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute reported last month from a recent survey that Latino registered voters are “stressed and struggling to pay for basic necessities” at nearly twice the rate of non-Latinos.
Consumer prices went up by 3.7% during the 12 months ending in September 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gasoline went up 34.2%, and food prices rose by 2.5% in the same period.
Romero with the Center for Inclusive Democracy says that for Latino voters right now, “the economy, gas prices, [and] affordability is key.”
Deportation fears
Immigration enforcement is another divisive issue that, along with the economy, has turned at least some Latino voters away from Trump and the GOP.
Raids and arrests have sown apprehension not only in Los Angeles, but across the U.S. Up the coast in Seattle, an organization that assists immigrant communities points to the fear factor. “For sure the biggest challenge is the fear right now,” said Brittnery Ramirez Osorio, president of Seattle’s Fundacion Corazon, a nonprofit providing essential supplies and food pantries to immigrant families in need.
The organization serves over 60 families across the Seattle area, particularly in the central district area, where many families are struggling with both the rise in the cost of living and a fear of immigration raids.
Some families have become hesitant to leave their homes, even for work, out of fear of being detained, Ramirez Osorio said.
People in the communities they work with have been detained: On Oct.1, a father from one of the families the organization served was apprehended by immigration agents.
According to a GoFundMe organized by community allies of Fundacion Corazon, the man was shopping for plumbing supplies at a Lowe’s in Federal Way, Washington, when a federal agent questioned him and took him into custody.
“We were in shock, “ Ramirez Osorio said, “that this was actually happening to someone that was really close to us.”
Ramirez Osorio said that immigrant communities want elected officials who can understand and engage with the communities that they represent.
“I think a good representative has to be present in the community,” Ramirez Osorio said.
Getting out the vote
Organizations around the country are working to boost Latino voter turnout. One is the
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), a nonpartisan, nonprofit national organization that facilitates Latino participation in the political process.
NALEO operates a voter hotline, (888) VE-Y-VOTA, before and during Election Day, helping Latino voters with voting-related questions.
Julio Rivera, deputy director of civic engagement at NALEO, said that the hotline has helped Latino voters find polling locations and help with any voter registration verification issues voters may encounter. Rivera has been following reports of early Latino voter turnout so far.
“Latino early ballots are actually up 14% from the last midterm election,” Rivera said.
Rivera said that NALEO emphasizes for voters the accessibility of language access support and encourages them to understand their voting options.
“One of the most effective ways to make sure that voters actually submit a ballot and participate is for them to know their options and plan ahead,” Rivera said.
With Latinos forming a growing part of the U.S. electorate, Rivera said Latino voters have the influence to determine elections at the local and national level.
“Latinos truly are the swing vote in this country,” Rivera said. “I would say that the Latino vote is just a very powerful political force, and it’s really up for grabs depending on which political party is interested in meeting its needs.”
USC’s Latino voters
As election day neared at USC, senior business administration major Rodrigo Ramirez prepared to vote for the first time.
“What is motivating me is this will be the first time that I get to vote in a big, organized fashion, since I just became a U.S. citizen,” Ramirez said.
As for USC junior Christian Herrera, it all comes back to the cost of living.
The economics major said rising living costs in Los Angeles, along with reductions to financial aid, have made affordability his top concern heading into the midterms.
Herrera put the sentiment in three words: “Money pretty tight.”
USC voters who are dropping off or casting ballots in person can do so at USC Village until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Mail-in ballots may be left at the drop box at the USC Village Lot, and students can vote in person at the Vote Center in the Village meeting room at UVN-1200.