Democratic group argues that Latinos are souring on Trump but the party can’t just focus on anti-Trump messaging. The Democrats believe they have an opening to reclaim Latino voters that fled the party last year but a prominent Latino-focused group argued the party needs to present a message that’s more than just anti-Donald Trump.
Democrats can take advantage of the current situation to regain Latino votes that left the party last year. However, the group suggests that the party needs to provide a message that’s not just anti-Trump but something more positive for Latino voters. According to a recent poll sponsored by Somos Votantes and its PAC, Trump’s approval among Latinos has reached new lows, which has continued to fall over the past months. The survey showed Trump’s favorability is down by 26 points. It is the lowest in a sustained slump among this voting bloc, which has only worsened since the start of the year and has sunk another 6 points since September.
But the poll also shows an equally grim outlook on Trump’s handling of the economy. Trump’s approval on the issue is down by 30 points, dropping from 38 percent in May to 34 percent in November. Melissa Morales, president of Somos Votantes, said that Trump promised to slash prices on day one but hasn’t delivered on that promise. She emphasized that the message for the Democrats should provide a positive economic vision for the future that Latinos can believe in, which is essential if they are to win back these voters.
Latino voters who had previously supported Trump in 2024 bounced back toward Democrats in this cycle’s off-year races, with Democratic candidates in both New Jersey and Virginia winning in heavily Latino areas. Democrats have praised these as signs that their message on affordability is an opportunity for them to retain Latino votes. Morales said the survey supports this idea. She argued that the Democratic message can’t be just anti-Trump but needs to provide a positive message for the future. She said that’s the kind of vision Latino voters are looking for, and that Democrats must offer this to win back Latino voters.
Republicans, however, have dismissed the party’s recent struggles with Latinos, claiming that they will bounce back by the midterms. They cite their inroads with Latino voters in recent cycles, such as Trump’s historic gains in 2024 and a string of wins in some majority-Latino congressional districts. Christian Martinez, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s national Hispanic press secretary, stated that the Democrats have ignored the Hispanic community over the past nine years while millions of working families rejected their ‘radical, socialist agenda.’ He added that Republicans will continue to earn the support of Hispanic voters because they are working to deliver opportunity, security, and a better life.
The Somos poll also found that a majority of Latino voters are extremely concerned about the rising cost of living, with 64 percent reporting extreme concern. The poll indicates that Democrats may be able to capitalize on this concern, as Latinos largely hold Republicans responsible for the state of the economy: 45 percent say they blame the GOP for the rising cost of living, compared to 24 percent who blamed Democrats. Pollster Rosa Mendoza said that Latino voters are genuinely worried about making sure that they make ends meet. She noted that Republicans having that be one of their core messages as they were heading into the election in 2024 was not helping them.
The Global Strategy Group conducted the national poll of 800 Latino registered voters from Nov. 4 to 12, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.