MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Now let's zoom in on Latino voters - and not just in Texas. As a voting bloc, they swung toward Republicans two years ago. This week, they swung back hard, 21 points toward Democratic House candidates, according to exit polls. And while Latinos certainly do not vote with one united, monolithic voice, collectively, they turned out in big numbers, and those numbers helped usher in the blue wave that crested on Tuesday.
I want to talk this through with Sabrina Rodriguez, politics reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Hey there.
SABRINA RODRIGUEZ: Hey, thanks for having me.
KELLY: Hey. So let's start in Texas, where I gather you spent Election Day, Tuesday. Democrats flipped several seats in Hispanic-majority districts. They elected Gina Hinojosa, as we just heard. What were your big takeaways?
RODRIGUEZ: I mean, no question that Latinos played a pivotal role in the outcome that we saw on Tuesday night. Not just in Texas, but in states across the country - when we talk about Kansas and California and Pennsylvania and Colorado - just key districts. But nowhere was that viewed more acutely than in Texas.
KELLY: When you started sensing the direction things were going on Tuesday, what was going through your mind?
RODRIGUEZ: It wasn't a full surprise, frankly. From reporting throughout this year in south Texas, a predominantly Hispanic part of the state, you could just hear the frustration. I mean, sometimes in reporting, you hope to find the Democrat who voted for Trump in 2024 that would be willing to talk. And when you spend time down in south Texas, I mean, you could find them everywhere willing to talk about their frustrations with Trump on a number of issues.
KELLY: Dig a little deeper on the issues that drove Latino voters this year - you know, affordability, cost of living, immigration. What seemed to be top of mind as you talked to people?
RODRIGUEZ: I mean, the No. 1 thing is the economy. It - you know, Latinos are like any other, you know, group of voters across the country. There was a frustration that, you know, Trump had talked so much about how he was going to help make people's lives better and how he was going to strengthen the economy.
KELLY: And then what about immigration, immigration enforcement, particularly given how aggressively the Trump administration pursued deportations?
RODRIGUEZ: That certainly played a role for a lot of voters. You know, a lot of voters heading into 2024 felt that, you know, the border was out of control and was chaotic, and they wanted to see Trump come into office and get that under control. And they had this perception that, you know, he was going to focus on deportations of criminals.
But, you know, I've had many people mention to me, you know, that they had a neighbor that was deported or they had a friend of a friend deported or a family member deported. And those stories came to life for people in a very real and personal way and fostered fear in some of these communities, even amongst folks who are U.S. citizens who were born in this country.
KELLY: I'm struck listening to you by how much of what you're describing about priorities for Latino voters - how much it tracks with any other voting bloc. In other words, there's no, like, huge mystery here. Listen to us, talk with us, and when you make a promise, we want you to keep it.
RODRIGUEZ: One hundred percent. I think that there's a misconception that there has to be some magic message towards Latino voters. Or at times, there's this misconception that, oh, Latino voters are all voting off of immigration. And I think one of the realities is that the Latino community - there are huge nuances and sort of varieties of Latinos depending on where you are in the country. So oftentimes, that's part of the - that's just part of the factor, that it's not as simple as saying, oh, one group has these needs. It's the same as everyone else.
KELLY: I know you've covered Latinos for a while as part of your political beat. Anything surprise you in the results this week?
RODRIGUEZ: I think how strong the turnout was, in particular amongst young Latinos. Young Latino voters were the ones who really helped propel that swing. But I think there's a real question now of, will this younger voting bloc start to use that power and flex it in elections to come?
KELLY: Sabrina Rodriguez, politics reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Thank you so much.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
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