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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an election cycle in which we can say we\u2019re not totally invested in either political party based on decades\u2019 worth of neglect,\u201d Medina Vidal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Latino residents make up roughly 31.9% of Tarrant\u2019s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s 2025 estimates<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the days leading up to the midterms, local Latino voters are concerned about affordability, high gas prices and immigration enforcement \u2014 issues mirroring those on the national level, Medina Vidal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Latino voters have historically leaned toward Democratic candidates and issues, but there have been patterns where they sway toward the Republicans, Medina Vidal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the 2024 presidential election, Latinos gave President Donald Trump a 4-point edge over then-Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019 handling of the economy, according to NBC News. Now, some Latino voters have shifted against Republicans<\/a> and Trump amid economic concerns, according to another NBC poll.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s getting hard to stretch a paycheck, and that resonates from the very top all the way to the bottom,\u201d Medina Vidal said. \u201cThis is why your local officials and your candidates for local office need to pay attention to that.\u201d<\/p>\n In an effort to make sure concerns are heard, dozens of residents and advocacy group members gathered at Northside\u2019s Marine Park in early October urging Latino voters to cast their ballots<\/a> in this year\u2019s midterms.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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<\/a> make voting harder, but that eligible residents should not stay home.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe must continue to protect our voter interests once the ballots are counted and the certification processes begin,\u201d Murguia previously said. \u201cThe point is not to tell people how to vote here. It is to make sure they can vote safely, confidently and without intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n How are Tarrant political parties connecting with Latinos?<\/p>\n Historically, Democrats and Republicans have failed to create early messaging<\/a> grounded in the Latino community\u2019s priorities, often drawing focus on issues only when it\u2019s time for elections, Medina Vidal said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA critique that I have for both political parties: Is the leadership sensitive to courting Hispanic voters that they adjust their strategies?\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Allison Campolo, chair of the Tarrant County Democrats, said the party is engaging with Latino community leaders \u201cas often as possible\u201d to ensure equitable representation among precinct chairs and with focused outreach committees.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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<\/a> hosted by the North Texas chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens.<\/p>\n \u201cThat 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,\u201d Campolo said in an email to the Fort Worth Report.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarrant County Republican Party chair Tim Davis did not respond to the Report\u2019s list of emailed questions about outreach efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the Democratic candidates following those voter outreach tactics is Nydia C\u00e1rdenas, who is running against incumbent Republican Manny Ramirez for Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 4. Both candidates identify as Latinos.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/SS_Ramirez4-scaled-2-1024x683.jpg\")
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez pictured in November 2022. (Sandra Sadek | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9e159a7c-full-1-1024x683.jpg\")
Nydia C\u00e1rdenas, candidate for Tarrant County Precinct 4, speaks at her Democratic primary election watch party at Azle Hall in Fort Worth\u2019s Northside on March 3, 2026. (Drew Shaw | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n