How Democrats and Republicans Are Chasing Florida’s Latino Vote in 2026

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida’s Latino voters are poised to be a pivotal force in the 2026 midterm elections as Democrats and Republicans compete for their support and focus on the issues driving their choices.

Latinos account for roughly one in four Florida voters, forming a diverse electorate with family and cultural ties to the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

Many Latino voters moved toward the Republican Party in 2024, helping alter Florida’s political landscape. With the midterms drawing closer, both parties are watching to see whether that shift will hold.

News 6 anchor Lauren Melendez spoke with Republican political voice Jaime Florez, Hispanic Communications Director of the Republican National Committee, and Luis Dávila Pernas, chair of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico. They discussed how the two parties are courting Latino voters and where they differ on the issues most important to the community.

The economy remains a central concern

Republicans credit President Donald Trump’s economic message with helping attract Latino voters in 2024. Florez said the GOP wants voters to consider what it describes as progress on inflation, prescription drug costs and job growth.

“He received the country in ruins. We had the worst inflation in over 40 years. Now we have an economy that has inflation under control,” Florez said.

Democrats counter that economic pressures have not disappeared, pointing to the high cost of living and the everyday expenses still weighing on families.

Dávila Pernas said some Latino voters who backed Trump are now questioning whether they made the right choice.

“There are a lot of people with buyer’s remorse in the Latino community who feel they were duped,” Dávila Pernas said.

For Latino voters, inflation and the cost of living remain at the heart of the economic debate, making those concerns central to both parties’ efforts to win support before November.

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Immigration enforcement divides the parties

Immigration is also shaping the political conversation, particularly as the Trump administration steps up enforcement and revises policies affecting immigrant communities.

The Department of Homeland Security has reported more than 985,000 deportations since Trump returned to the White House. The administration has also taken steps to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and Haitians.

Republicans say the administration is applying existing immigration laws and emphasize that asylum protections come with legal requirements that some Latinos may not meet.

“Some people don’t understand the law of legal asylum in the United States. It’s not the fact that the economy in your country is bad that grants you asylum,” Florez said.

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Democrats are criticizing the administration’s immigration strategy, saying its enforcement actions have heightened anxiety among Latino families and communities, particularly after a series of violent or deadly attempts by ICE agents to make arrests.

Dávila Pernas said many voters want elected officials to pursue practical solutions instead of extending partisan battles.

“People just want representatives who can actually work and get things done and are tired of the fighting,” Dávila Pernas said.