Whether I’m meeting constituents in Arizona or residents of Virginia and New Jersey while I’m on the road, I’ve been hearing the same thing again and again from Latino voters. They’re working harder than ever, sometimes double shifts, yet they’re struggling to make ends meet.
These are men and women who simply want to pay for groceries without having to check their bank account twice — workers who want to fill their gas tanks, buy a home and give their kids a better life than they had. But no matter how many hours they put in, their paychecks don’t stretch as far as they used to.
They all say the same thing. We’re paying more but getting less.
When Democrats focus on the economy, we win.
For years, consultants in Washington, D.C., have tried to “decode” Latino voters like we’re some kind of enigma that can be solved with polling tabulations. But if they actually spent time in our working-class neighborhoods, or if they listened at our kitchen tables and job sites, then they’d understand something simple and profound.
Latinos believe in America’s promise that through hard work and faith, you can build a better life for your family.
That’s the same dream my mother carried when she came to this country: not to ask for a handout, but to lend a hand. She wanted what millions of immigrants have always wanted — a fair shot to work hard, build something better and give her children a chance.
For Latino voters, and for most working families in this country, it’s always been about the economy — the real economy that shows up on rent day and at the grocery store. The results from last week’s elections made that clear.
When Democrats focus on the economy — on helping families not just get by but get ahead and dream big — we win.
I know because that’s how I won a state that Donald Trump carried.
When I talked to Latino voters, I talked about bringing money home, about buying that big-ass truck, about starting a business and building something of your own. Because that’s what the American dream looks like in our communities: dignity earned through work, and pride built through progress.
Latino voters are done being taken for granted or talked down to.
That’s exactly what Democrats like Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia — whom I campaigned with — understood, and why they won overwhelmingly with Latino voters this year. They focused on making life more affordable, on growing the middle class and on fighting for families who do their part and deserve to get ahead.
Trump and Republicans made inroads with Latinos in 2024 by selling the lie that they’d bring down prices, create jobs and make life easier for working families. And many Latinos, including some of the families I grew up with, wanted to believe that someone in power finally understood their struggles.
But when you look at President Trump’s record, the results tell a different story. Republicans passed a budget that handed massive tax breaks to billionaires while cutting health care for millions of families. They raised costs for working people, and they deepened the divide in our country. Now their inaction will cause 24 million Americans to see their health insurance premiums skyrocket.
And for many Latino families, those economic burdens are made worse by the fear that comes from being targeted because of who we are or how we look. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have detained parents on their way to work, stopped people outside schools and torn apart families who’ve been part of their communities for decades.
I have cousins in Chicago who carry their passports everywhere they go — because they’re afraid of being treated like they don’t belong in the country they call home. That’s not the America my mother came to. And it’s not the America any of us should accept. And in 2026, Latino voters will come out again. So now, many Latinos who once gave Trump and the Republicans a chance are asking: Where are they? Why are they attacking my family? Instead of focusing on the cost of living or the future of work, they’ve chosen to distract and divide us. They’re hoping that if they can keep Americans angry at each other, then we’ll forget about what’s happening to our wallets. But the culture wars come and go. What never changes is the concern about the price at the pump or at the checkout counter. That’s where the real fight is, and it’s a fight Democrats can win if we stay focused on it. Because here’s the truth: Latinos don’t vote for a party. We vote for possibility. We vote for the people who make us believe that the American dream still belongs to all of us — no matter our last name, no matter where our parents were born. If Democrats can continue to be the party that fights for working families — the party that helps people buy that home, start that business or send their kid to college — then we can win anywhere. What we saw last week is proof. Latino voters are done being taken for granted or talked down to. They want to be respected, to be seen and to be part of building something bigger than themselves. And in 2026, Latino voters will come out again — to protect our families, our wallets and the belief that the American dream is still within reach. Because the dream isn’t gone. It’s just waiting for leaders with courage to fight for it.
Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate. 
