GOP is Relying on Latino Trump Supporters to Maintain Congress Majority. That May Be an Uphill Battle.

As the 2026 midterm elections quickly approach, and the GOP's control in Congress grows increasingly vulnerable, the party is hoping to rely on Latino Trump supporters to maintain their trifecta in government. But just over six months into the Trump administration, that may not be such a sure thing anymore.

One of the clearest examples of this strategy is the GOP's plan to draw five new congressional districts in Texas— which Trump would have won by at least 10 percentage points in last year's election— resulting in safe Republican seats and an increased majority in the House of Representatives.

The plan has enraged Democrats both local and across the country, with Texas Democratic lawmakers leaving the state to delay the vote on the new maps, and governors in blue states threatening to retaliate by redrawing their own maps.

But the new maps won't work if the GOP doesn't maintain Texas Latinos on their side. In fact, three of the five newly drawn Republican districts will have a higher percentage of Hispanic voters, a new analysis from The Washington Post reveals.

That trend is nowhere as clear than in the 28th Congressional District, a border area currently represented by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D). Under the new maps, nearly 90% of the 28th District's voting-age population would be Hispanic, a significant increase from the 72% under the previous maps.

But so far, many Hispanics in the area have expressed disappointment in Trump's mass deportation policy, saying they thought he was going to focus only on criminals, not hardworking undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years. Others said they didn't feel he was focusing enough on bringing the cost of living down. While most had not made up their minds about 2026, expressing a range of openness to backing Republicans.

That is the case of Yzeña Cuellar, a 48-year-old middle school science teacher who was raised as a Democrat, but broke with her family and voted last year for President Trump. But she says that does not make her a Republican, noting that she voted for Democrats in other races and may do so again next year.

"Am I going to say it's just Republicans from now on? No," Cuellar told The Post. "I'm not going to be a shut door. I'm going to be open to both sides."

Similarly, her partner, Rick Salinas, says he also supported Trump last year but believes the president is squandering that support.

"It was a question of trying something else— trying something new," Salinas, 59, said.

He says some residents would be more open to accepting the deportation tactics if they were boosting the economy.

"But it's not. It's not helping anybody. The price of construction just went up, and I don't see a bunch of U.S. citizens lining up to take those jobs," Salinas said.

But regardless of the proposed changes, Rep. Cuellar— who won reelection last year despite a federal indictment accusing the incumbent of bribery and money laundering— expressed confidence that he would withstand any changes, pointing to ticket-splitters.

"Hispanics are conservative by nature, but that doesn't mean automatically they're going to vote Republican," Cuellar said.