The same young Latino voters who swung to Donald Trump in 2024 handed New York to Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani – and no, they haven’t changed their minds about anything. Strategist Mike Madrid explains why the fastest-growing bloc in American politics is walking out on both parties at once.
Madrid – author of The Latino Century, – joins the Independent Voter Podcast (IVP) show to blow up the way both parties read the Latino vote. His case: what looks like voters lurching right, then left, then right again is actually a dealignment – a conscious rejection of the entire two-party system, driven by class and generation far more than ethnicity.
The IVP crew digs into California’s Latino turnout surge behind California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, why New York’s closed primaries produced a dismal 9% turnout, and what really went down at the first-ever National Latino Summit in D.C. Stick around for his blunt advice on how voters can break the cycle of partisanship.
Why Latino Voters Backed Trump—Then Mamdani (NOT What You Think) | Mike Madrid was first published on Independent Voter News.
This article is republished as part of LNN’s partnership with IVN and the The Fulcrum to expand voter‑first journalism and strengthen public‑centered coverage of democracy.