For Latino voters, the economy is the top issue on their minds when it comes to the upcoming congressional elections, much like other registered voters. More than eight-in-ten Latino registered voters (86%) say the economy is very important to their vote for Congress in the November elections.
The economy is also the top issue among Latino registered voters regardless of which candidate for Congress they support – 89% of Latino voters who support their House district’s Democratic candidate in the 2026 midterms and 78% of Republican candidate backers say it is very important to their vote this year.
At least three-quarters of all Latino voters also say that healthcare (80%) and education (75%) are very important issues for their congressional vote. However, unlike the economy, there are wide differences depending on which candidate Latino voters support.
Latinos backing their Democratic candidate are 31 percentage points more likely than Republican voters to say healthcare is very important to their vote for Congress this year and 27 points more likely to say the same about education.
Additionally, two-thirds or more of Latino voters say the future of democracy (69%) and immigration (64%) are key considerations to their vote.
These findings come from a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults, including 774 Latino registered voters, conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, 2026.
This is part of a larger report on the attitudes and dynamics among Latino registered voters in the 2026 midterm elections.
How Latino voters rate the economy and the impact of Trump’s economic policies
Latino voters are more downbeat about national economic conditions than in September 2025. Today, just 19% say economic conditions in the United States are excellent or good, down from 26% a year ago.
Although both Latino voters who prefer Republican and Democratic candidates prioritize the economy, they differ in their assessment of current conditions:
- 58% of Latino Republican voters say the state of the economy is only fair or poor, while 42% say it is excellent or good.
- 90% of Latino Democratic voters rate the economy negatively, compared with 9% who give it a positive rating.
And when asked how President Donald Trump’s policies have affected the economy, 74% of all Latino voters say they have made conditions worse, up from 61% in 2025.
Top economic concerns among Latino voters
The price of gas and energy is now one of the top economic concerns among Latino voters ahead of the midterms. Eight-in-ten (80%) say they are very concerned about this, up from 48% in January.
Large majorities of Latino voters also say they are concerned about the cost of:
- Housing (80%)
- Food and consumer goods (78%)
- Healthcare (77%)
In addition, a majority of Latino voters now say they are very concerned about unemployment, with 59% saying this – up from 47% who said the same in September 2025 and 40% who said this in January 2024.
Views of the Trump administration’s deportations efforts
Immigration-related arrests rose over the summer, reaching a new high for the current Trump administration. This follows large increases in immigration enforcement funding approved by Congress earlier in the summer and in 2025.
Amid this escalation, most Latino voters are critical of the Trump administration’s approach to deportations. About six-in-ten (62%) say the administration is doing too much when it comes to deporting immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally. Another 22% say the administration is doing about the right amount, and 14% say it’s doing too little.
Still, Latino voters who backed their Republican congressional candidate largely support the Trump administration’s approach to deportations:
- 47% say that what the administration is doing on deportations is about the right amount.
- 33% say it’s doing too little.
- 19% say it’s doing too much.
By comparison, 86% of Latino Democratic voters say the Trump administration is doing too much when it comes to deportations.
