Early voting in two Republican strongholds puts Latino voters’ priorities and President Donald Trump’s declining approval under scrutiny.
Early voting began Monday in Texas and most Florida counties, setting the stage for closely watched midterm contests in two Republican strongholds where Latino voters’ concerns over inflation, immigration and public safety could shape the electoral landscape.
With Latinos accounting for 40% of Texas’ population and 28.7% of Florida’s, both states offer a key test of the parties’ ability to attract Hispanic voters. Economic pressures, rising living costs, immigration policy and public safety are among the issues shaping voters’ priorities.
In Florida, voters turned out early in heavily Hispanic areas, including Miami-Dade County and Doral. Their concerns varied: some pointed to rising food and fuel prices and the strain on households and small businesses, while others emphasized public safety, education and support for the Trump administration.
Foreign policy and immigration have also exposed divisions within the community. In Doral, home to a significant Venezuelan population, tensions over the conflict with Iran and its potential impact on oil prices have added to debate over the administration’s tougher immigration policies.
🗳️ EE. UU.: comenzó la votación anticipada en Texas, que se suma a Georgia y Arizona. Las elecciones del 3 de noviembre definirán el control del Congreso. #teleSUR#19octpic.twitter.com/EHFa1yUbOU
Text Reads: 🗳️ U.S.: Early voting has begun in Texas, joining Georgia and Arizona. The November 3 elections will determine control of Congress.
The early voting period coincides with a decline in Trump’s approval among Hispanic voters, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. His approval rating stood at 24% in October, down from 38% in February 2025, at the beginning of his term.
The figures come as both parties compete in high-profile state and congressional races. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly are vying for the governorship in a contest that has proved closer than expected. Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar is seeking re-election in the state’s 27th Congressional District against Democratic challenger Eliott Rodríguez.
In Texas, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race, while Republican Governor Greg Abbott is challenged by state legislator Gina Hinojosa.
Democrats are hoping that declining support for Trump among Hispanic voters, combined with greater participation in early and mail-in voting, will help them contest key seats in the House of Representatives and Senate. Republicans, meanwhile, are seeking to maintain their dominance in both states through the end of the voting period.
Economic concerns such as tariffs and rising gas prices may give Democrats an opening in November's midterms. But rural voters remain skeptical of large-scale support for Democrats.
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To boost Senator Jon Husted, who is in a tight race to keep his seat, some Republicans who were making a jobs pitch have pivoted to focus on socialism.
Tanya Karabanovs, a volunteer at the Cuyahoga County G.O.P. headquarters, surrounded by unclaimed yard signs. She said that volunteer turnout had been down this midterm cycle.
The path to a U.S. House majority runs through heavily Latino districts in states such as Arizona, Colorado and Texas, where Democrats are counting on disaffected Trump supporters to swing back their way.
Voting rights advocates fear the Trump administration may use the federal government to cast doubt on the election, discourage participation or try to delegitimize results.
Organizers are hoping to promote early voting ahead of the midterm elections in this latest round of nationwide demonstrations that have previously focused on President Trump.
“I’m sure you know who Andrew Tate is,” said Suzanna Bridges, a conservative Catholic who sees misogyny laced into Trump world. “This administration is pushing for that kind of man right now — hyper, hypermasculine.”
The Mexican actor backed the Democratic gubernatorial candidate as Becerra urged voters to stand up for immigrant families.
Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez has endorsed Xavier Becerra in California’s gubernatorial race, urging Latino voters to turn out on Nov. 3 and warning against efforts to intimidate the community and discourage participation in the election.
Derbez announced his support for the Democratic candidate on Thursday at an event in Los Angeles marking Hispanic Heritage Month. He called on Latinos to exercise their political influence and defend their right to vote.
“Together, we are powerful, and we will use that power. I became a U.S. citizen several years ago because I was determined to make my voice heard,” Derbez said.
El actor Eugenio Derbez denuncia la intimidación a los latinos en Estados Unidos en un momento en que esta población podría tener un peso importante en las elecciones del 3 de noviembre.https://t.co/vvNU3aShP1
Text Reads: Actor Eugenio Derbez denounces the intimidation of Latinos in the United States at a time when this population could have significant weight in the November 3 elections.
He questioned why anyone would seek to discourage Latino voters if their participation did not matter.
“This is no coincidence. It isn’t. I ask all of you: If your vote were not important, why are they trying to intimidate us into not voting? What are those who want to intimidate us afraid of?” he said.
Derbez said Becerra understood the challenges facing the Hispanic community, making him a strong choice to lead California. Latinos account for at least 40% of the state’s population, according to the source material.
Becerra, a former U.S. health secretary and California attorney general, has also urged Latino voters to consider the interests of immigrant families and those unable to vote.
“Vote for the Dreamers and for their families, who are also living in the shadows and hoping that one day they can emerge without being attacked by ICE,” Becerra said in Los Angeles, referring to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and their relatives. ICE is the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
As California attorney general, Becerra defended DACA, which protects eligible immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. President Donald Trump sought to end the program during his first administration.
Becerra is the son of a Mexican immigrant mother and a California-born father of Mexican descent who grew up in Mexico. He invoked his family’s experience as he called on voters to support immigrant communities.
“Vote for everyone who counts. I thank you on behalf of my mother, my father, the Dreamers and the new voters. Thanks to you, we defeated Trump’s policies that attack our immigrant families; together, we will do it again,” he said.
A poll by the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies showed Becerra leading Republican rival Steve Hilton by 58% to 37% among voters surveyed.
Hilton, who was born in the United Kingdom and is aligned with Trump, accused Becerra on social media of using his parents’ experiences to attract votes. “Unlike Xavier Becerra, I am an immigrant,” Hilton said.
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