In the November 2026 midterm elections, Latino voters moved sharply toward Democratic candidates, helping Democrats win Texas's Senate seat, governor's office, and all statewide offices on the ballot. Every Texas county voted more Democratic than in the 2024 presidential election.
Where
Texas (statewide); also New Mexico, Arizona, California, Florida, and Kansas
When
November 5, 2026 (Election Day)
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Gabe VasquezDemocratic U.S. Representative from New Mexico
Johnny GarciaSheriff's deputy who won newly created House district in San Antonio area
James TalaricoDemocrat elected to U.S. Senate from Texas
Ken PaxtonRepublican candidate for U.S. Senate from Texas
Gina HinojosaDemocrat elected governor of Texas
Ashley MoodyRepublican U.S. Senator from Florida
Adam HamiltonDemocrat elected to U.S. Senate in Kansas
Linda SanchezU.S. Representative from California, chair of CHC BOLD PAC
Leticia GutierrezDemocrat elected to U.S. House from Houston-area district
Cindy Candia56-year-old Texas resident
The facts
Latino voters shifted sharply leftward in the 2026 midterm elections.1
Democrats won the Texas U.S. Senate seat, governor's office, and all statewide offices on the ballot.1
Every Texas county voted more Democratic in 2026 than in the 2024 presidential election.1
Roughly 7 in 10 Hispanic voters supported Talarico for U.S. Senate; about 3 in 10 voted for Paxton.1
About one-third of Hispanic voters backed Republicans in U.S. House races in 2026.1
Democrats won every House district touching the U.S.-Mexico border for the first time since 2008.1
Fourteen Hispanic Democrats were newly elected to Congress, 10 in districts previously held or favored by Republicans.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Gabe Vasquez Latino voters showed their power and flexed their muscle during this election.1
Johnny Garcia Democrats made historic gains, especially by going after issues most important to people.1
Cindy Candia Nobody thought Texas would vote for a woman, Hispanic governor from Brownsville.1
Leticia Gutierrez Latino voters want someone understanding of their issues to represent them on Capitol Hill.1
Where the sources disagree
Hispanic support for Trump in 2024 presidential race Roughly 4 in 10 per AP VoteCast [1]; 55% in Florida per [1]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Latino voters swing left in midterm elections, lifting Democrats to big wins in Texas and nationwide
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.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in Texas's 2026 gubernatorial election. Hinojosa became the state's first Latina governor and the first Democrat elected to the office in more than 30 years. Latino voters, a record turnout in a midterm election, significantly influenced the outcome.
Gina Hinojosa, Democrat, elected Texas governor; Greg Abbott, Republican incumbent governor, defeated; Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS and 2 more
Political advertising analytics company Kinetiq Political Insights released research showing Republicans outspent Democrats on TV, radio and digital advertising during the 2026 midterm elections, though Democrats reached swing voters at lower cost.
$nearly $3 billion for republican political advertising spending on TV, radio and digital
Kinetiq Political Insights, political advertising analytics company that conducted research; National Media Insights, research firm that analyzed advertising efficiency; James Talarico, Democratic candidate who won Texas U.S. Senate race
Fox News host Jesse Watters said on his November 5 show that if Texas remains a Democratic state, a Republican will never win the White House again. He made the comments after November 2026 midterm elections in which Democrats won statewide office in Texas, including James Talarico's Senate victory and Gina Hinojosa's gubernatorial win.
Jesse Watters, Fox News host; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican state attorney general running for Senate and 2 more
James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and Texas state representative, won a U.S. Senate seat in the midterm election on November 3, 2026. He ran with a Christian message emphasizing caring for neighbors and challenging systems that require charity. His victory was part of a broader Democratic gain in which clergy candidates and other religiously-focused Democrats flipped control of Congress.
James Talarico, Texas state representative and Presbyterian seminarian; Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Adam Hamilton, Megachurch pastor; Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Kansas; Sarah Trone Garriott, Iowa minister; Democratic U.S. House candidate and 3 more
Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat and state representative from Cypress, won election to the Texas Railroad Commission, breaking over 30 years of Republican control of all commission seats. He is a former mechanical engineer with 25 years in the energy industry and four terms in the state House.
Jon Rosenthal, Democrat elected to Texas Railroad Commission; Bo French, Rosenthal's opponent for the commission seat; Ben Shepperd, President of Permian Basin Petroleum Association and 2 more
Forty-six of forty-seven data center-related ballot measures voted on November 3, 2026 passed, with roughly 98% overall support for restrictions including bans, moratoriums, power usage caps, and resident approval requirements. Only Harwood, North Dakota rejected its measure.
Greg Abbott, Republican Governor of Texas who promoted data center recruitment; Gina Hinojosa, Democrat elected Governor of Texas, pledging data center moratorium; Austin McCarty, Attorney handling Texas data center matters at K&L Gates
Elon Musk spent an estimated $474 million on the 2026 midterm election, the most by any non-candidate in U.S. history. He spent approximately $200 million on a Texas Senate race where his candidate lost by 12 points to a Democrat.
$$474 million for spending on 2026 midterm election
Elon Musk, spent estimated $474 million on 2026 election; President Trump, received Musk's support; James Pindell, journalist reporting on Musk's spending and 1 more
Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden announced formation of working groups made up of county election and registration officials to improve the Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) system as redevelopment continues.
Robert S. Howden, Texas Secretary of State; County election and registration officials, Working group members