The results of the 2024 election were a wake-up call for Democrats, marking an apocalyptic moment in their strategy to win back the Latino vote. Former President Donald Trump’s reelection to a second non-consecutive term highlighted a seismic shift in Latino voting patterns, particularly among Latino men. This shift signals a profound reckoning for the Democratic Party, which must reassess its approach if it hopes to regain Latino support in future elections.
Trump’s 2020 performance with Latino voters—especially Latino men—was already a major surprise to many. Once dismissed as a demographic likely to reject him due to his racist rhetoric, including his infamous remarks about Mexican immigrants, Trump managed to make significant inroads among Latinos. By 2024, this trend had only deepened. In fact, Latino men, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 34, increasingly sided with Trump, a development that was noted in a USA Today/Suffolk University poll in the weeks leading up to the election.
One key reason behind this shift is the growing importance of economic issues for Latino voters. For years, Democrats assumed that immigration policy and cultural identity would be the defining issues for the Latino electorate. But as Tuesday’s election results made clear, the reality is far more complex. In fact, many Latino voters were more interested in the candidates’ positions on economic policies—issues like jobs, wages, and the cost of living—rather than on debates over immigration. This marks a fundamental break with the idea that the Latino vote is a monolithic bloc driven primarily by identity politics.
Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), a progressive who won his reelection bid by a wide margin, emphasized the need for the Democratic Party to clarify its economic message, particularly for Latino voters. “Latinos wanted to know who we’re for, but they also wanted to know who we’re against,” Casar remarked. “When it comes to standing up for working people, Latinos included, we need to show we are willing to take on special interests, corruption, and the wealthy elite.”
Indeed, cultural identity issues, such as the controversy over former President Trump’s remarks at a Madison Square Garden rally, failed to drive a significant Latino turnout. Some pundits had predicted that this would galvanize Puerto Rican voters, particularly in Pennsylvania, but those predictions didn’t materialize. George Laws García, director of the Puerto Rico Statehood Council, noted that many leaders who claimed to speak for Puerto Ricans seemed disconnected from the community’s actual concerns. In short, cultural and identity issues did not outweigh more tangible concerns like economic well-being.
Perhaps the most striking example of this shift is in Webb County, Texas, a heavily Latino region on the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won nearly 75 percent of the vote in Webb County. But in 2024, Trump triumphed with a stunning 85 percent of the vote. This reversal underscores the degree to which Latinos, even in border regions, are increasingly motivated by issues beyond immigration and cultural identity.
The trend was also evident in other swing states with significant Latino populations, such as Florida. Osceola County, home to many Puerto Ricans, flipped from a Biden win of 14 points in 2020 to a narrow Trump victory by 1.5 points in 2024. The failure of Democrats to leverage cultural outrage over controversial remarks—like comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s offensive joke about Puerto Rico—was a key factor in the county’s rightward swing.
For Democrats, the results of this election should be seen as a grave warning. The party can no longer take Latino voters for granted, particularly in the face of Trump’s ongoing appeal. The narrative that Latinos will automatically reject the Republican Party because of its stance on immigration is now firmly debunked. In reality, Latino voters, like much of the general electorate, are primarily driven by economic concerns.
If Democrats are to have any hope of winning back Latino support, they will need to shift their focus back to economic empowerment. Party leaders must rethink their messaging, prioritizing policies that promote job growth, wage increases, and relief from the rising cost of living. Democrats must demonstrate that they are the party that enables prosperity, not just advocates for cultural identity or immigration reform.
This election was a pivotal moment for the Democratic Party, one that should spark a deep reckoning. The lessons are clear: Latinos—particularly Latino men—are not bound by party loyalty or identity politics. They will vote for the party that offers them the best shot at economic security and a better future. If Democrats want to keep this crucial demographic in their corner, they must pivot away from the cultural and identity-focused issues that have defined their campaigns in recent years. The time has come for a fresh, economically-focused approach that speaks directly to the concerns of Latino voters across the country.
