About this research
This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on Latino registered voters and the 2026 midterm election.
Why did we do this?
Pew Research Center conducts research to inform the public, journalists and decision-makers. This analysis builds on a larger body of work that explores the views and attitudes of Latino voters in U.S. elections and the attitudes and experiences of Latinos in the United States.
Learn more about Pew Research Center, our research on Hispanics in the U.S. and other research on race and ethnicity.
How did we do this?
We surveyed 5,062 U.S. adults, including 774 Hispanic registered voters, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, 2026. Everyone who took this survey is part of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish and represents the views of the full U.S. adult population. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.
Here are the questions used for this analysis, detailed responses and the survey methodology.
List of key terms
The terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably in this report.
In a previous survey, respondents were asked a question about their voter registration status. In this report, respondents are considered registered voters if they self-report being absolutely certain they are registered at their current address. Respondents are considered not registered to vote if they report not being registered or express uncertainty about their registration.
The terms “registered voters” and “voters” are used interchangeably in this report.
This analysis includes comparisons between Latino registered voters and other registered voters. In these cases, the terms other registered voters or other voters refer to those who are not Latino.
Validated voters are adult citizens who told us in a postelection survey that they voted in a given general election and have a record of voting in a commercial voter file. Trump voters are validated voters who self-reported that they voted for Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Harris voters are validated voters who self-reported that they voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Nonvoters are those who did not vote in 2024 but were eligible to do so.
Several weeks out from the 2026 midterm election, Democratic congressional candidates have a sizable advantage among Latino registered voters. And while not all registered voters will cast ballots this year, Latino Democratic candidate supporters are more engaged with this year’s election compared with four years ago.
- 77% of Latino registered voters who support a Democratic candidate for their district in the House of Representatives say it really matters who wins control of Congress, up from 58% in 2022.
- 53% say they’re extremely motivated to vote, up from 41% four years ago.
- 45% say they’ve given a lot of thought to the upcoming elections, up from 24% in 2022.
Meanwhile, Latino voters who support Republican congressional candidates show lower levels of engagement this year compared with Latino voters supporting Democratic candidates.
Latino registered voters overall are more engaged in this year’s election than they were at a similar point before the 2022 midterms. Their current level of interest is similar to other registered voters. By contrast, in 2022, Latino voters were less engaged than other voters.
Latino voters have historically favored Democratic over Republican candidates in midterm elections, but the margin has narrowed in recent years: In 2022, Latino voters backed Democrats over Republicans by a 21 percentage point margin, down from a 47-point margin in 2018. Trump also made gains among Latino voters in presidential elections between 2016 and 2024, winning nearly half their votes two years ago. Previous Pew Research Center studies have found that differences in who turns out to vote, rather than voters switching their support between parties, have played a role in these shifts.
Two years into the second Trump administration, the president’s standing with Latino voters has deteriorated. His current job approval rating among Latino voters, at 24%, is down from 38% in February 2025. And majorities of Latino voters say the Trump administration’s policies harm Hispanics more than help them and that their situation as a group is worse than a year ago. (Jump to “Trump’s falling job approval rating among Latino registered voters.”)
The economy remains the top issue for Latino voters, who have grown more negative about economic conditions and are increasingly concerned about the cost of gas and unemployment. (Jump to “The Economy Is the Top Issue for Latino Voters in the 2026 Midterms.”)
These findings come from a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults, including 774 Hispanic registered voters, conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, 2026.
Where do Hispanics who voted for Trump in 2024 stand today?
Donald Trump’s job approval rating as president has declined substantially among Hispanics voters who backed him in 2024: 57% approve of his job performance, down from 93% at the beginning of his second term.
Latino voters who supported Trump in 2024 are split over whether his policies help or harm Latinos overall (32% vs. 37%). At the same time, their views of economy have worsened: 34% now rate economic conditions as excellent or good, down from 57% at the start of the year.
On immigration enforcement, 30% of Hispanic voters who backed Trump in 2024 say his administration is doing too much on deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally. Still, a majority say it is either striking the right balance in their approach or not doing enough.
When it comes to this year’s midterms, about two-thirds (65%) of Hispanic voters who supported Trump in 2024 say they would vote for the Republican candidate in their district if the congressional election were held today. Meanwhile, 24% say they would support another candidate or are not sure whom they would support. And 11% say they would vote for the Democratic candidate in their House race.
Vote preferences among Hispanic voters in the 2026 midterm elections
Democrats hold a 27 percentage point advantage over Republicans among all Hispanic registered voters in the national race for the House of Representatives – 51% to 24%. Another 18% say they are not sure who they would vote for, and an additional 7% indicate they would support another candidate.
According to the new survey, 65% of Hispanic voters who voted for Trump in 2024 say they support the Republican House candidate this year. Another 14% say they would vote for another candidate, 11% say they would vote for the Democratic candidate, and 10% say they’re not sure whom they would vote for.
Meanwhile, 84% of Hispanic voters who supported Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024 say they back the Democratic House candidate this year.
Among those who did not vote in 2024, 47% say they would choose the Democratic candidate and 18% the Republican candidate. An additional 31% say they are unsure who they would vote for, while 4% favor another candidate.
For more information, visit the detailed tables on voting preferences and presidential approval.
(Jump to “Latino Registered Voters See the Democratic Party More Favorably Than the Republican Party.”)
A specific, not generic, ballot
For this survey, respondents were presented with the names and partisan affiliations of the major-party candidates on the ballot in their congressional district, based on geographic information they provided. They were also presented with options to choose “another candidate” or say they were not sure.
Respondents in Alaska (where there are four candidates on the general election ballot), Missouri (where a late change to the congressional map has resulted in an open, majority-vote primary held in November), and Louisiana received generic Republican and Democratic candidate choices. In districts where one of the two major parties did not field a candidate, respondents were given the option to choose a generic member of the party opposite the named candidate in their district.
For many Latino voters, Trump is a factor in their congressional vote choices
A majority of Latino registered voters (55%) say they think of their vote for Congress this fall as a vote against Trump. Another 14% say their vote is in support of him, while 30% say he is not much of a factor.
This is a substantial change from four years ago, when 26% of Latino voters viewed their vote as support for Joe Biden and 23% viewed it as opposition to him. About half (48%) said he was not a factor in their congressional vote choice.
Hispanic voters who back a Republican candidate are about equally likely to say their vote for Congress is a vote for Trump or that Trump is not much of a factor for their vote (46% each). Only 7% say they think about their vote as a vote against Trump.
A strong majority (84%) of Hispanic voters who say they support a Democratic candidate for Congress this year view their vote as opposition to Trump. And 14% say Trump is not a factor in their vote for Congress.
Among Hispanic voters who backed Trump in 2024, 35% say their vote for Congress this year is a vote for the president. Yet 19% view their vote as opposition to Trump. Another 46% say he is not much of a factor in their vote choice.
Trump’s falling job approval rating among Latino registered voters
Today, 24% of Latino registered voters say they approve of Trump’s handling of his job as president. This number has fallen 14 percentage points from the start of his second term, when 38% approved of his job.
The president’s job approval rating has fallen more sharply among his 2024 Hispanic voters. At the start of his second term, 93% said they approved of his job as president. Now, 57% say this – a decline of 36 percentage points. Approval has also fallen among Trump’s 2024 non-Hispanic backers, though less sharply. In February 2025, 95% approved of his job performance, compared with 68% today.
The impact of Trump’s policies on Hispanics
Seven-in-ten Hispanic registered voters (70%) say the Trump administration’s policies have been harmful to Hispanics, while 12% say they have been helpful and 16% say they have had no effect. This is similar to their assessment from a year ago, when 74% said the administration’s policies were harmful to Hispanics.
Today, views differ sharply by how Hispanic registered voters say they will vote in the House election:
- Republican candidate supporters are divided: 23% say the administration’s policies have been harmful, while 37% say they have been helpful. Another 38% say they have had no effect.
- Almost all Democratic candidate supporters say the administration’s policies have been harmful to Hispanics (91%).
How Hispanic voters view the situation of Hispanics in the country
About six-in-ten Hispanic registered voters (61%) say the situation of Hispanics in the United States is worse than it was a year ago, while 11% say it is better and 26% say it is about the same.
The share who say Latinos’ situation in the U.S. is worse than a year ago is roughly the same as the share that said this a year ago (65%).
However, the reference periods differ. This year’s assessment asks respondents to compare the situation today with the first year of Trump’s second administration. Last year, they were comparing the first year of Trump’s second administration to the final year of the Biden administration.
This year’s negative assessment of Hispanics’ situation remains far above previous years: In 2021, only 28% said Hispanics’ situation had worsened in the previous year, and in 2019, 42% said this.
Hispanic registered voters’ choice of congressional candidate this year is related to how they see the situation of U.S. Hispanics.
- Hispanic Republican candidate supporters are divided: 22% say the situation of Hispanics is worse than a year ago, while 34% say it’s better and 44% say it’s about the same.
- On the other hand, 79% of Democratic candidate supporters say the situation of Hispanics is worse than a year ago, while only 2% say it’s better and 19% say it’s about the same.