Republican gains among Latino voters face 2026 test in California

[RandySF]

From the far reaches of South Texas to the dense urban enclaves of northern New Jersey, Republicans made significant gains with working-class Latino voters last year.

The upcoming midterm elections will test the durability of that rightward shift — and whether it’s transferable to down-ballot Republicans running in a time of economic turbulence without Donald Trump at the top of the ticket.

In addition to Texas and New Jersey, Republicans have their sights on a handful of heavily Hispanic congressional districts in California. They range from a race in the San Joaquin Valley that is likely to be among the nation’s most competitive to an under-the-radar contest in a blue district in Southern California that could become a battleground as the election cycle unfolds.

“If [Republicans] can keep up the trend next year without Trump on the ballot, that could be the difference-maker in competitive races that we’re all used to talking about … and even start to pull solidly Democratic districts that we haven’t normally considered competitive … into the conversation,’’ Roll Call elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections said.





https://rollcall.com/2025/05/21/latino-voters-california-republicans-trump-midterms/