Last year, the Republican-controlled Texas legislature redrew its congressional maps in a controversial mid-decade redistricting effort aimed at giving the GOP five more House seats. Encouraged by President Donald Trump’s strong showing among Hispanic voters in 2024, they concentrated on four districts in the heavily Latino Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.
But the Latino vote in Texas swung back from the president on Tuesday, driven by its dissatisfaction with Trump’s immigration policy and the economy, according to ABC News’ Voter Poll. Republicans failed to flip any of the Rio Grand Valley districts — losing by double-digits in all of them — and ended up with a net loss of one House seat.
Hispanic voters comprise more than 30% of eligible Texas voters and are especially concentrated in four counties in the Rio Grande Valley, where they make up more than 90% of the population, according to U.S. census data.
Democrats candidate for U.S. House Bobby Pulido, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa sing together at the conclusion of the Voto Latino’s “Ready. Go. Vote.” campaign rally outside of the Mustang Lounge Night Club, Oct. 25, 2026 in Weslaco, Texas.
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ABC News’ Voter Poll showed 67% of Hispanics who voted in the state’s Senate race said the Trump administration’s actions on immigration enforcement have gone too far, compared to 45% of white Senate voters.
Jon Taylor, a University of Texas at San Antonio political science professor, told ABC affiliate KSAT that this issue is especially influential in the Rio Grande Valley saying, “A number of people living in South Texas, living in San Antonio, who had family, friends, somebody they knew who got picked up in an ICE raid. It had a profound impact on voting.”
About 83% of Hispanic voters said the economy was not so good or poor, compared to 63% of white voters, according to ABC News’ Voter Poll, and 75% of Hispanics who voted in the Senate race said that Trump’s economic policies have worsened economic conditions in the U.S., compared to 52% of white voters.
The Rio Grande Valley has some of the highest rates of poverty in the country. Héctor E. Sánchez Barba, who leads Mi Familia Vota, a leading Latino political group, told ABC News that the Valley has been particularly hurt by the Trump’s economic policies, saying “It’s very clear the economic impact that these policies are having is on mostly working-class, people-of-color communities.”
All four of the Rio Grande Valley counties saw voter turnout up from 2022: Up 9.9% in Hidalgo County; 7.9% higher in Cameron County; a 7.4% increase in Willacy County; and 3.3% higher in Starr County. The state saw an overall increase of about 6% in voter turnout from 2022.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally at the Santa Fe Event Center, Oct. 25, 2026, in Weslaco, Texas.
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Additionally, Democrats flipped two largely Hispanic districts in South Texas that Trump had previously won by double digit margins.
And the blue wave extended to Democrats winning all statewide races.
ABC News Voter polls showed that Hispanic voters backed Democratic Senate Candidate James Talarico with 68% of the vote and Democratic governor candidate Gina Hinojosa with 65%.
Barba said they won because “Their policies are a reflection of working class families” and a “reflection of inclusion.”
Barba said the Democratic victories could make the state a presidential battleground in 2028.
“Make no mistake, anybody that wants to become a president in 2028 has to come through the Latino community.”
