Democratic strategists and candidates say Hispanic voters, who shifted toward Trump in 2024, may swing back to Democrats in Texas' competitive Senate, House and governor races due to concerns about the economy and Trump administration immigration policies.
Where
Statewide
When
Nov. 2, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Chuck RochaDemocratic strategist and CBS News political contributor advising Democratic Senate and gubernatorial candidates in Texas
Gina HinojosaDemocratic candidate for Texas governor
James TalaricoDemocratic Senate candidate
Ken PaxtonRepublican Senate candidate
Greg AbbottIncumbent Republican governor
President TrumpPresident of the United States
The facts
About 39 million Hispanic Americans are eligible to vote, an increase of roughly 5.2 million since 2022.1
Trump won approximately 55% of Hispanic voters in Texas in 2024, turning blue Rio Grande Valley counties light red.1
Trump's approval rating among Latinos stands at 24% as of early October 2026.1
Fifty-seven percent of Latino 2024 Trump voters approved of his job performance, down from 93% in February 2025.1
Fifty-one percent of Latino voters said they planned to vote for a Democratic House candidate versus 24% Republican.1
Hispanic voters make up more than 30% of Texas' eligible electorate.1
Six in 10 Hispanic voters planned to vote for Talarico over Paxton in an October CBS News poll.1
Hispanic voters favored Hinojosa for governor over Abbott by a similar margin in polling.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Chuck Rocha A Hispanic hurricane is coming; we don't know if it will be Category 2 or Category 5.1
Gina Hinojosa Trump won because he said the system is rigged; Democrats were defending an indefensible system working against us.1
Gina Hinojosa Greg Abbott has been in charge for 12 years, and it is harder than ever to make it in Texas.1
President Trump I won Hispanics; I've done more than any other Republican in history; I got tremendous Hispanics.1
Republicans Enthusiasm for Democrats is still muted.1
Where the sources disagree
Whether Trump's support among Hispanic Texas voters is slipping Democrats cite declining approval ratings and polling favoring their candidates [1]; Trump dismisses this and says he won Hispanics [1]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Why some Texas Democrats are forecasting a "Hispanic hurricane" in midterms
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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$$1 million for donation to Lone Star Rising PAC for Talarico
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$at least $57,000 for consulting services
Dallas Morning News, published the op-ed and later added editor's note; Suzanne Bellsnyder, author of op-ed; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic candidate for Texas governor; consultant's client
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