Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, representative-elect Bobby Pulido, and senator-elect James Talarico pose at Voto Latino's "Ready. Go. Vote." campaign rally on October 25, 2026 in Weslaco, Texas. —Brandon Bell—Getty ImagesWhen Bobby Pulido, a well-known Tejano singer, decided to run for Congress in Texas’ 15th congressional district, many dismissed his candidacy as a long shot. When he decided to make playing at quinceañeras a cornerstone of his campaign’s voter outreach strategy, there were many naysayers. On Tuesday, Texas voters proved them wrong. Pulido won about 62% of the vote, shifting the recently-redrawn 15th congressional district 42 points toward Democrats compared with the 2024 presidential election, and unseating incumbent Trump ally, Rep. Monica De La Cruz. During her campaign, De La Cruz dismissed Pulido’s background, saying "this isn't about who you would want to perform at your niece's quinceañera." Pulido flipped the attack on its head, proudly stating he had performed at 75 quinceañeras while on the trail. When speaking to voters, he kept a tight focus on the economy, healthcare, and immigration. Pulido’s overwhelming victory on election night suggests that meeting voters where they’re at and engaging with them at cultural events that are deeply meaningful is an excellent way for politicians to connect with and mobilize Latino voters across the political spectrum. An estimated 75% of voters in the district Pulido won were unknown voters, and his strategy was effective because it made people feel seen. That is what we have been hearing from Latinos in focus groups for a number of years now—they are struggling daily to make ends meet, and no one seems to care enough to do anything about it. Latino opinions in this regard are not all that different from those of other Americans. What is different is the degree of economic hardship Latinos are facing and the extent to which those struggles, along with concerns about immigration enforcement, may have moved Latinos away from the Republican Party.The economic pain is realSince 2020, polling has consistently shown that affordability—concerns about prices for basic necessities, housing, and stagnant wages—are what concern Latinos most. In a 2025 Equis poll Latinos surveyed reported high levels of economic precarity, with 29% reporting they had “trouble meeting expenses” and 32% that they “could just meet expenses with nothing left over.”Similarly, an October 2025 Pew Research poll found that 48% of Latino respondents had struggled to pay for groceries, medical care, or their housing costs in the past year. Latinos who worked full time were just as likely as those who were unemployed to say they have struggled to pay for food, medical care, and housing. Given that, it is not surprising that 61% of Latino poll respondents said that their economic situation had worsened since President Donald Trump took office in 2024.Immigrant connectionsWhen asked by pollsters what their top concerns are, Latino respondents rarely include immigration on that list, but this misconstrues the fact that immigration is a key Latino concern. The truth is that Latinos are much more likely to be connected to the immigration experience than other Americans. Forty-four percent of Latino adults in the United States are immigrants. The October 2025 Pew Latino survey found that 52% of Latino respondents said they worry a lot or some that they, a family member, or a close friend might be deported. Fifty-nine percent said that they had seen or heard of ICE raids in their communities over the past six months. The violence around immigration enforcement has left its mark on many Latino communities. One of the most powerful images to come out of Texas on Election Day was the hundreds of “I Voted” stickers affixed to the shrine in honor of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who was killed by ICE on July 7, 2026. In addition to the stickers, people wrote statements, saying they were voting for Lorenzo, for a better future, and a future without hate.No political homeAccording to Equis Research, from 2016 to 2024, Latinos shifted more in favor of Trump than any other U.S. racial group: a 16-point gain. It is important not to over-interpret those changes. It seems clear that there were aspects of Trump’s message that resonated in important ways with Latino voters. But there is much political discontent in the community. In the 2025 Pew survey, 68% of respondents said that Latinos’ situation in the U.S. was worse than a year ago. This was the first time in over two decades of Pew surveys that a majority of Latinos said their situation had worsened. Among those who voted to give Trump a chance in 2024, polling suggests that many have lost faith in President Trump’s promises, particularly around economic issues. The election results from Texas’ Rio Grande Valley suggest another shift may have happened, back to the Democrats. Over 90% of the valley is Latino, and Democrats swept all Congressional districts, including those that had been drawn to favor Republicans. Again, overinterpretation is a danger, particularly the assumption that electoral shifts of this type will be durable. That remains to be seen. Latino poll respondents have long indicated that they do not trust either party; the fastest-growing party identification among Latinos is no party preference. Few candidates or party operatives, in either political party, invest the time needed to authentically engage targeted Latino voters around what matters to them. As a result, either outreach does not happen or, in the rare cases that it does, it is symbolic rather than substantive. Latino voters can tell the difference. It seems like every electoral cycle, the question is whether the Latino vote will “swing.” This framing is reductive. It suggests that Latino voters are not voting based on their substantive concerns, but rather that they can be won over by one Spanish-language advertisement. But the polling makes clear that the stakes are real. Latino families are struggling every day to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. They are trying to ensure that they have access to medical care when they are sick. And they are worried their loved ones might be deported at any moment. These are grave concerns, with potentially dire consequences for families and the community if they are not addressed. Until political candidates begin to take these issues seriously and find solutions, Latino voters will continue to search for a stable and supportive political home. To build that home, the parties have a great deal of work to do.