Eight in 10 Latino Voters in Texas Say Politicians Take Them for Granted, Poll Reveals

Eight in 10 Latino voters in Texas say politicians take them for granted, and four in 10 say they are more likely to support candidates who communicate with them in Spanish, according to a new survey conducted for TelevisaUnivision by The Harris Poll.

The poll also found that inflation and the cost of living are the top concerns for Hispanic voters in the state ahead of upcoming elections.

The survey results coincide with the outcome of Texas' Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, where state Rep. James Talarico secured the party's nomination after emphasizing outreach to Latino voters and economic concerns such as jobs and wages. Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett with about 53% of the vote, avoiding a runoff.

Three-quarters of respondents to the poll, shared by Axios, said inflation and the rising cost of living were the most important issues this year. Other issues identified as "very important" included access to health care and health care costs (69%), jobs and wages (67%), housing affordability (65%), immigration enforcement tactics (54%) and immigration and border security at the Texas-Mexico border (50%).

Daniel Alegre, CEO of TelevisaUnivision, said campaigns that rely only on English-language messaging may be missing a key segment of the electorate. "If you think you're reaching Hispanics with the message you have on English-language TV for the broad-based audience, you're missing the point," Alegre said. He added that "Spanish-dominant or dual-language Hispanics, they will determine where the vote is going to go."

Alegre said Hispanic voters are increasingly motivated by issues rather than party loyalty. "They're an issues vote, and they feel they're not being listened to," he said.

Talarico's campaign invested in Spanish-language advertising, including ads during major soccer broadcasts and the Premio Lo Nuestro music awards, and partnered with Spanish-language social media figures.

Campaign adviser Chuck Rocha said the strategy focused on values many Latino voters prioritize. "Latinos are an aspirational people, and they want to aspire," Rocha said, adding that they also respond to messages centered on economic opportunity.

As a result, in counties where at least 60% of residents are Latino, Talarico won roughly 63% of the vote compared with Crockett's 34%, according to Associated Press data cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Republicans, meanwhile, have made gains among Latino voters in recent years, as Axios notes, making the group a central focus of campaign strategies ahead of the November election.