Democrats Deploy Social Media Influencers to Reconnect with Latino Voters

Democrats are implementing a novel outreach strategy to win back Latino voters who have increasingly drifted from the party, partnering with social media influencers to deliver their message in swing districts that could determine control of the House of Representatives.

The party's eroding support among Latino voters contributed significantly to their 2024 electoral defeats. Vice President Kamala Harris carried Latino voters by just three points that November, a dramatic decline from President Joe Biden's 25-point margin in 2020. President Trump, meanwhile, increased his party's share of Latino votes by double digits to 48 percent.

The stakes are particularly high given the rapid expansion of the Latino electorate. An estimated 36.2 million Latinos were eligible to vote in 2024, up from 32.3 million in 2020, representing 50 percent of all new eligible voters during that period. Equis Research data shows Latinos now comprise more than 10 percent of eligible voters in 20 competitive House districts and exceed 20 percent in a dozen of those districts.

With Republicans holding a narrow 218-214 House majority, Democrats need to flip just three seats to regain control of the chamber.

BOLD PAC's Influencer Initiative

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus campaign arm, known as BOLD PAC, launched a program in February connecting social media influencers directly with voters through community events. The organization has raised more than $73 million since its founding and more than doubled the size of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. For the 2024 cycle alone, it raised $13.6 million through over 219,000 contributions averaging $14.97 each.

We're turning to trusted voices in local communities that have followings giving them information and then allowing them to create content in a way that is organic and authentic

said Rep. Linda Sánchez of California, who chairs BOLD PAC.

The organization provides stipends of $1,500 to cover travel expenses for influencers attending get-out-the-vote events, though it does not pay them for posts. This approach reflects data showing that 30 percent of Latinos regularly get their news from influencers on social media, more than any other demographic, according to Pew Research Center.

From Beauty Tips to Political Engagement

Alexa Flores, an Arizona-based content creator with nearly 500,000 followers, exemplifies this shift. Once focused primarily on beauty and fashion content, she pivoted to political topics in response to the Trump administration's immigration policies.

My job is to get people to understand that so that they can go and move that needle

Flores said. She is scheduled to appear at a wine tasting event in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez faces Republican Greg Cunningham in a rematch, and at a Día de los Muertos event in Tucson, Arizona, where Marine veteran JoAnna Mendoza is challenging GOP incumbent Juan Ciscomani.

New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, where Vasquez serves, has a 54 percent Latino citizen voting-age population and is considered one of the most competitive House contests in the country. In Arizona's 6th District, Ciscomani won reelection in 2024 with 50 percent of the vote, and the Cook Political Report now rates the district as politically even. BOLD PAC has spent more than $2 million in the 2026 cycle supporting Democratic candidates and opposing Republicans, with its largest expenditure targeting Cunningham.

Bridging the Trust Gap

Texas influencer Solangie Hernandez Hollowell, also working with BOLD PAC, focuses her content on issues like taxes and immigration without always mentioning specific candidates. Her goal is to help Latino communities connect with the political process beyond transactional campaign visits.

Latinos feel like politicians show up just right before the election. I don't feel like we feel very heard. My main goal right now is making sure that everything that's happening around the world reaches my family and my community in a way that they can understand it.

Hernandez Hollowell said.

Democratic strategist Stephanie Valencia, co-founder of Equis Research, cautions that rebuilding trust will require sustained effort. The research firm estimates roughly one-third of Latinos are independent voters, and more than 40 percent of those believe neither party cares about people like them.

One election cycle is not going to solve the problem that Democrats have had and a frayed trust with Latino voters that has developed over the last several election cycles

Valencia said.

The challenge is substantial. In Texas' Rio Grande Valley alone, nearly 316,000 Latinos who could vote did not participate in the 2024 election, prompting major voter turnout operations by organizations including the Voto Latino Foundation and Hispanic Federation.

Valencia warns that Democratic campaigns continue to underestimate how persuadable Latino voters are, often arriving with insufficient resources and messaging too late in election cycles.

Latinos are just a more persuadable universe and can't just be treated as a base turnout universe for Democrats

she said.

In 2024, many Latinos shifted toward Republicans in response to what they perceived as liberal immigration policies and excessive focus on foreign intervention over domestic concerns under the Biden administration. This year, Democratic leaders at BOLD PAC believe they have an opportunity as more Latinos express dissatisfaction with President Trump's immigration and economic policies.

Flores remains optimistic about Latino electoral influence expanding.