A new Equis Research memo released this week shows Latino voters still have shifting views of both major political parties.

According to the survey, President Donald Trump’s job approval sits at 36 percent, while 59 percent of Latino voters say they disapprove of his performance. The data also shows signs of dissatisfaction among Latinos who supported him last year: 19 percent say they feel disappointed or regret it, and another 13 percent say they may consider switching in 2026.

On the Democratic side, the picture is mixed. The memo states that Democrats’ favorability among Latino voters has remained unchanged over the past three months at 45 percent favorable and 45 percent unfavorable. Republicans stand at 39 percent favorable and 53 percent unfavorable.

“Both parties continue to have significant room for growth with Latino voters – especially when it comes to addressing the cost of living and fighting for hardworking Americans,” the memo concludes.

The findings combine a review of the November 4 election results with new national polling of 2,000 registered Latino voters conducted between October 15 and 29.

The 2025 election results in New Jersey might offer some signs. According to Equis, precincts with large Latino populations looked more like the state’s 2021 results than the patterns seen in the 2024 presidential election, suggesting that some of the Republican gains with Latinos last cycle may be softening. The memo says this year’s outcomes resemble 2022 trends rather than the GOP’s 2024 high-water mark among Latino voters.

Affordability remains the dominant issue shaping Latino political attitudes, with voters continuing to cite cost-of-living pressures — including housing, food, and wages — as their central concern. Immigration enforcement and community safety also appear prominently, but economic strain remains the top motivator across demographic groups.

“The administration’s overreach on immigration has been a clear driver of discontent for many Latino voters. Both in July and October polls, immigration enforcement policies such as workplace raids and allowing ICE agents to use masks and civilian clothes during arrests were some of Trump’s least popular policies among Hispanic voters,” the memo notes. “In the most recent poll, the majority of Latinos disagreed with deploying troops to cities to assist with immigration enforcement (62% disagree) and increasing work visa fees to reduce the number of immigrant workers (60%).”

“But to chalk up Latino voters’ discontent to just immigration would ignore the reason why so many Latinos voted for him in the first place: concerns about the cost of living. Poll after poll, the economy ranks as the number one issue for Latino voters,” the memo adds. “And while the economy was a strength for Trump in 2024, it has turned into a weakness now: approval on the cost of living is 68–28 (–40), lower than any other issue listed in the poll, including healthcare (–29), immigration (–24), and education (–22). This is especially true of those disappointed or regretful Latino Trump voters, 75 percent of whom disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living.”

“Rejection of the Trump administration is not one-dimensional,” it also notes.

The memo also highlights persistent uncertainty among Latino voters about national political leadership. Many respondents expressed frustration with the broader political climate, saying they feel overlooked by both parties outside campaign periods. The release emphasizes that Latino voter sentiment is fluid at this early stage rather than locked into the alignments seen during the last two election cycles.

Semafor received exclusive access to Equis’ work and published a Monday story summarizing the initial findings. Equis’ media release linked to Semafor.

Equis says the polling and Election Day analysis are intended to help campaigns, community groups, and researchers understand how Latino voters are responding to current political and economic conditions as the 2026 election cycle approaches.

A full copy of the toplines is here. You can also download it below.

We want to keep The Latino Newsletter accessible without paywalls. To help, you can donate here. Any amount (one-time or monthly) will keep us going.

And now a word from today’s newsletter sponsor.

In a landscape flooded with hype and surface-level reporting, The Daily Upside delivers what business leaders actually need: clear, concise, and actionable intelligence on markets, strategy, and business innovation.

Founded by former bankers and veteran business journalists, it's built for decision-makers — not spectators. From macroeconomic shifts to sector-specific trends, The Daily Upside helps executives stay ahead of what’s shaping their industries.

That’s why over 1 million readers, including C-suite executives and senior decision-makers, start their day with it.

No noise. No jargon. Just business insight that drives results.

Subscribe free today.

Just Flavors from United We Dream: Congrats to the team at United We Dream for launching its new season of Just Flavors, which was featured on Chef José Andrés’ Substack.

“Just Flavors is a fun and playful cooking competition featuring young people from many different immigrant backgrounds who make family recipes that connect with their stories. But it’s not just a cooking show…it’s also a celebration of immigrant communities and the flavors, experiences, ideas, and backgrounds that make up immigrants’ identities,” the acclaimed Spanish chef writes.

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of The Latino Newsletter. He is also its current part-time publisher and executive director. He wrote, edited, and published this edition of The Latino Newsletter.

Consider donating to The Latino Newsletter. Any contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this newsletter free and accessible to all. ¡Gracias mil!