Latino voter shifts in Tuesday's elections alarm some Republicans

Republicans have spent a year cheering President Donald Trump’s gains among Latino voters in November 2024.

Republicans have spent a year cheering President Donald Trump’s gains among Latino voters in November 2024. Now, Democrats’ big wins among Latino voters this week have some Republicans sounding the alarm.

“This is a wake-up call for the GOP,” Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., told NBC News.

Democrats’ double-digit victories in governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as wins in other elections in New York City and California, were driven in part by high levels of support among Latino voters.

Latino voters supported the Democratic candidates this year by at least double-digit margins, according to NBC News exit polling. Latino men, who broke for Trump last year, according to the 2024 exit polls, favored the Democrats in each of the races where exit polling was conducted on Tuesday.

In the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial contests, two-thirds of Latino voters supported the Democratic candidates.