The Hispanic vote is up for grabs in 2026. Candidates who ignore it will lose

Hispanic voters are sending both parties a message that should be impossible to ignore: stop assuming you already know where we stand.

A record 36.2 million Hispanic Americans were eligible to vote in 2024. Heading into 2026, polling in competitive congressional districts suggests many are still persuadable, with more than half either undecided or open to changing their vote.

For years, political analysts have tried to squeeze Hispanic voters into a simple narrative. After one election, we're told Latinos are firmly in the Democratic camp. After the next, we're told Republicans have permanently reshaped the electorate.

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The reality is much less tidy.

Hispanic Americans are not moving in lockstep in either direction. They weigh candidates, priorities and circumstances, then make their own decisions. Thats what makes this electorate so consequential, and so risky for either party to take for granted.

When we ask Hispanic voters what matters most, the issues may sound familiar: the cost of living, housing, good jobs, health care and opportunity. But how those pressures are experienced matters.

Nine in ten Hispanic voters we surveyed in battleground districts cite the cost of living as a top issue, while 73% say they are surviving rather than getting ahead. Eight in ten are helping support family members outside their own household. These voters don't need generic messages about the economy. They want candidates who understand how economic pressures are affecting their families and communities, and who can speak credibly to their aspirations for getting ahead.

What often gets missed in political conversations is that Hispanic voters are more than a demographic category. They are parents, workers, business owners, neighbors, and community members. They want elected officials who understand those realities, not campaigns built around assumptions.

The encouraging news is that engagement remains strong.

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A recent Univision survey of registered Hispanic voters in Texas found overwhelming interest in participating this fall. Yet 69% said candidates pay too little attention to the interests and concerns of the Hispanic community.

That's a striking combination. These are not voters who have tuned out politics. If anything, many are paying close attention and wondering whether anyone is listening in return.

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Communication matters.

Seventy-one percent say it's important for candidates to communicate with voters in Spanish, while 56% say doing so would make them view a candidate more favorably.

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That finding deserves more attention from campaigns. Speaking to Hispanic voters in Spanish