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A new poll shows Latino voters in California are most concerned about the state’s high cost of living and inflation.
The poll comes as Californians finish casting their votes on Proposition 50 — a measure that could reshape the state’s congressional maps in favor of Democrats.
The survey asked 400 Californian respondents how they’re feeling about major issues ahead of the 2026 midterms. The poll found Latino voters, along with high costs, are also worried about jobs, the economy, housing, health care and immigration.
Gary Segura, who leads the polling firm that conducted the survey, says despite decades of growth in California’s Latino population, it hasn’t translated into political power — largely because turnout remains low.
“The reason for that is that one party thinks their votes, or has thought in the past that their votes were unattainable and the other party took those votes for granted,” Segura said. “Trump has bled some of his support, around 21 percent of the people who claim they voted for him last year are not willing to say that they would vote for him again. That’s a really substantial bleed, and I think is reflective of current political circumstances.”
Segura says candidates will need to engage Latino voters directly and focus on the issues they care about.
Esmeralda Lopez with UnidosUS — a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization — says that while immigration remains a concern, most Latinos are focused on kitchen table issues.
“People are still struggling with housing cost, rising cost of food and the uncertainty of health care costs, and whether the paychecks that they make are going to be enough to stretch for their expenses,” Lopez said.
If Prop 50 passes, Latinos could gain more representation in newly drawn districts, making their votes even more critical as the 2026 midterms approach.
The survey also finds 56 percent of Latino voters in California plan to vote for Democrats in the 2026 midterms, compared to 23 percent for Republicans, and that a majority of Latino voters in the state disapprove of congressional Republicans.
Meanwhile, 93 percent of respondents who voted for Kamala Harris say they’d do so again.