Latino voters could be the key swing group in Tarrant’s 2026 midterm elections as political parties wait to see if the county will remain in Republican control or shift in favor of Democrats.
Hispanic voters come from diverse communities with different beliefs and cultures, said Xavier Medina Vidal, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, whose research centers on U.S. Latino politics and Mexico. That independent thinking, he added, makes them far from a monolithic voting bloc heading into November.
“This is an election cycle in which we can say we’re not totally invested in either political party based on decades’ worth of neglect,” Medina Vidal said.
Latino residents make up roughly 31.9% of Tarrant’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 estimates.
In the days leading up to the midterms, local Latino voters are concerned about affordability, high gas prices and immigration enforcement — issues mirroring those on the national level, Medina Vidal said.
Latino voters have historically leaned toward Democratic candidates and issues, but there have been patterns where they sway toward the Republicans, Medina Vidal said.
During the 2024 presidential election, Latinos gave President Donald Trump a 4-point edge over then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ handling of the economy, according to NBC News. Now, some Latino voters have shifted against Republicans and Trump amid economic concerns, according to another NBC poll.
“It’s getting hard to stretch a paycheck, and that resonates from the very top all the way to the bottom,” Medina Vidal said. “This is why your local officials and your candidates for local office need to pay attention to that.”
In an effort to make sure concerns are heard, dozens of residents and advocacy group members gathered at Northside’s Marine Park in early October urging Latino voters to cast their ballots in this year’s midterms.
Janet Murguia, president and CEO of the nonpartisan civil rights group UnidosUS, spoke at the gathering and said recent polling location cuts in Tarrant County make voting harder, but that eligible residents should not stay home.
“We must continue to protect our voter interests once the ballots are counted and the certification processes begin,” Murguia previously said. “The point is not to tell people how to vote here. It is to make sure they can vote safely, confidently and without intimidation.”
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez pictured in November 2022. (Sandra Sadek | Fort Worth Report)
Nydia Cárdenas, candidate for Tarrant County Precinct 4, speaks at her Democratic primary election watch party at Azle Hall in Fort Worth’s Northside on March 3, 2026. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)
How are Tarrant political parties connecting with Latinos?
Historically, Democrats and Republicans have failed to create early messaging grounded in the Latino community’s priorities, often drawing focus on issues only when it’s time for elections, Medina Vidal said.
“A critique that I have for both political parties: Is the leadership sensitive to courting Hispanic voters that they adjust their strategies?” he said.
Allison Campolo, chair of the Tarrant County Democrats, said the party is engaging with Latino community leaders “as often as possible” to ensure equitable representation among precinct chairs and with focused outreach committees.
The local Democratic Party is also making sure its website and materials are all available in Spanish, paying bilingual block walkers for comprehensive voter outreach and engaging in local Latino events, including monthly breakfast gatherings hosted by the North Texas chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
“That being said, we recognize this work is far from complete and we have a long way to go to effectively be active partners with our Latino community, so we are still improving,” Campolo said in an email to the Fort Worth Report.
Tarrant County Republican Party chair Tim Davis did not respond to the Report’s list of emailed questions about outreach efforts.
One of the Democratic candidates following those voter outreach tactics is Nydia Cárdenas, who is running against incumbent Republican Manny Ramirez for Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 4. Both candidates identify as Latinos.
Precinct 4 historically votes Republican, with Ramirez winning the seat by about 18 percentage points in 2022. The precinct covers northwest Tarrant County, including Azle, River Oaks, Saginaw and a northern portion of Fort Worth.
Incumbent Manny Ramirez faces Nydia Cardenas in Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 4 race
Cárdenas said that her campaign is fundamentally rooted in educating voters about the role of a county commissioner before it pitches why they should vote for her. It feels like running two campaigns, she said.
“A lot of times (Latino) voters feel like they’re being taken for granted,” Cárdenas said. “A candidate or a party feels entitled to their vote versus actually trying to work for it. To me, that was important from the beginning.”
Tracey Knight, Ramirez’s chief of staff, said his campaign is focused on mobilizing voters of all backgrounds and communities who believe the government should work for the people it serves.
As the first Latino elected to Tarrant County Commissioners Court, Knight said, Ramirez knows firsthand that Latino voters choose their candidate based on values, not political party.
“The broader effort is about bringing together anyone who believes in common sense, accountable government and solving problems rather than creating more political noise,” Knight said via email.
After the midterms, Medina Vidal hopes both Tarrant political parties continue to invest in Latino voters by bringing on diverse staff members and creating pipelines that get more Hispanic leaders on ballots.
“I understand that it’s not a one size fits all, and especially since Texas is a big state, but we’re consistent enough that you know what you need to do,” he said.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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