Voto Latino Celebrates Democratic Victories Following Midterm Elections

In the 2022 midterm elections races, Latino voters across the country played a critical role in helping Democrats defy predictions that the results would cut sharply against President Biden and his supporters. Latino voters turned out at or above levels seen in 2018, and supported Democratic candidates at a pace to match or exceed their 2020 levels.

“While we’re still waiting for full results from last night a few things are clear: first, the predicted red wave didn’t happen–not even close,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino. “Second, Latino voters reemphasized their power not just in a handful of states, but nationwide as they were pivotal in stopping the red wave. Latinos aren’t just keeping Democrats in contention in key races: they may well have saved control of the United States Senate. Heading into 2024, It’s critical that we invest in the Latino community so that our participation can be treated with the importance it deserves. We’ll continue to watch the results as they come in, but at this point it’s clear that Latinos–especially young voters–will continue to play a critical role in our national elections.”

Nationwide, Latino voters supported Democrats by a wide margin according to election eve polling–in some cases a wider margin than in 2020. In Arizona, Latinos supported Senator Mark Kelly over his challenger Blake Masters by a rate of 67 to 32. In Nevada, Latinos supported Catherine Cortez Masto over Adam Laxalt by a margin of 64 to 34; in Pennsylvania the state’s growing Latino community favored John Fetterman by a 44 point margin. In states that remain uncalled, Latino voters cast ballots that are proving critical in creating a Democratic a path to victory. Latinos also contributed to important wins in House races in Ohio and North Carolina.

“These results wouldn’t have been possible with Latino voters in general–and Latino youth in particular,” said Kumar. “These results should be the final nail in the coffin of the false narrative that Latino voters are moving decisively towards the Republican Party. Now is the time for Democratic leaders to treat Latino voters as the critical voting bloc we are. As we head into 2024, we’ve got to recognize that robust, sustained Latino engagement will be part of any successful election strategy.”

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.