Hispanic American voters spoke loudly in support of Democracy!
By Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina
Hispanic American voters came out in record numbers in 2026 midterm elections and had a clear message for Republicans and Democrats; don’t take us for granted. The Hispanic shift was 22% towards Democrats based on latest exit polls from NBC News. Places like TX, and even our own Passaic County, became one of the biggest places of rebuke to President Trump’s agenda.
Was the shift due to President Trump’s immigration policies? Yes, but also no.
As Latinos, we want to see immigration enforcement that doesn’t terrorize our communities. We want a fair immigration process that recognizes the contribution of hard-working immigrants and a process for them to legalize. Trump lied to Latinos in 2020 when he promised to fix the economy and only crack down on criminals in our communities. Instead, he sent masked ICE agents into our neighborhoods and workplaces and abducted working people and separated families while incarcerating folks in private prisons. We did not like the ugliness and cruelty of his policies.
But the biggest reason for the brown wave of Latino voter turnout is the fact that the immigration crackdown didn’t do anything to ease Latinos economic concerns, it worsened them. Hispanics swung away from republicans because of the same reasons every other American voter did; the affordability crisis made worse by increased price in groceries, lack of access to affordable healthcare and affordable housing and the cost of taxpayer funded unending wars overseas driving up the cost of gas.
Latinos voted for a change by backing Democrats and held Trump accountable. But Democrats should take notice. Hispanic voters are not monolithic, and their vote is not guaranteed because its loyalty is based on results, not promises.
The Hispanic vote is growing and as the NYTimes correctly described, Hispanic are now America’s most important swing vote. Ignore us at your own peril.
According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the US; 68 million in 2024 and over 70 million now; 79% of Latinos are US citizens and our median age is 31.2 years old. We are one of the youngest populations in the US, which means we are the growing electorate, the growing future workforce and the growing entrepreneurial business class in the nation.
However, the most important fact we should pay attention to is that in the 18–24-year-old population age range, Hispanics make up 25% of the population and have become the largest and fastest group of voters turning 18 years old. And they are voting.
In 2026, Hispanics of all ages made up 11.4% of the total vote for Democrats (7.8% of vote for republicans), but noticeable in the 18-29 age bracket, young Hispanics made up 19.4% of the winning swing votes for Democrats.
Tsunamis come quietly but not unexpectedly. And if you are paying attention to young Hispanics, you will hear the roar of expectations rising. They are demanding investment in their future, respect for their families, and a more humane immigration policy. As they graduate from HS or college and enter the workforce, they will demand good jobs with good pay and an opportunity to buy a home and build their American dream.
I was asked during the election night coverage on NJPBS which Democratic leader was ready to step up and respond to American’s call for accountability and run for president in 2028?
It is too early to make predictions, but my response then and now is that Democrats should first focus on an economic agenda that fights for solutions to America’s economic crisis. Hispanic Americans are Americans and what Democrats do or do not do to fix the economy and constraint the abuse of power of the President, directly impacts our Hispanic families. In short, let’s be clear that an American agenda, is a Latino agenda.
The referendum from the American people was powerful; they want action, not ugliness and not promises. In two years, they would look back at Democrats to see if they kept their promise to fight for working families.
In two years, also, two million more young Hispanics will be voting. The brown wave will continue to grow, shift and redefine our national and NJ politics.
Patricia Campos-Medina is a labor, political leader and a scholar expert on economic policy and voter representation. Follow her on social media @DrCamposMedina
