So Much for the “Latinos Are Republicans Now” Hot Takes

Latino voters shifted strongly towards Democrats in recent US elections, challenging claims after Donald Trump’s 2024 victory that the group was moving decisively towards Republicans. The results suggest Latino voting patterns are more varied and responsive to voters’ circumstances than broad claims about shared cultural or social values imply.

The article points to economic pressure and anger at immigration enforcement as factors that mobilised voters, alongside a sense that politicians had not understood their daily lives. It reports that 14.5 million Latino voters cast ballots, that 70 per cent of Texas voters supported Democrats, and that Latino-majority areas in Texas, New Mexico and Florida moved towards Democrats. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected the state’s first Latina governor, while Bobby Pulido flipped a Republican-held congressional seat.