Podcast
The Latino Vote
Hosted by The Latino Vote · EN
The Latino Vote Podcast brings together the most sophisticated Latino voices in the country to provide you with insightful, accurate, unbiased, and timely information relating to the voting patterns and inclinations of the Nation’s Hispanics. Mike Madrid, a brilliant GOP strategist who has worked for several U.S. presidents, and who is also the founder of the 2020 “game-changing” Lincoln Project, and Chuck Rocha, the senior strategist of the Bernie Sanders Campaign and the most impactful political consultant in the country in the last quarter century, face off with host, Jason Villalba, a three-term former member of the Texas Legislature and now the respected Chairman of the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation. Together, they bring you a ringside seat to a “no-holds barred” discussion of, The Latino Vote.
30episodes
Episodes
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California Governor's Race Latino Vote Update: Xavier Becerra vs. Steyer's $200M Machine
1w ago00:44:15Tap to summarizeChuck Rocha and Mike Madrid break down the seismic California Governor's race, where Xavier Becerra is surging despite being outspent 150-to-1 by billionaire Tom Steyer, who has already burned through $200 million, roughly $166 per vote. They unpack Steyer's undisclosed influencer campaign flooding Latino social media, what it means for the integrity of political messaging, and why Latino voters in California are rallying behind Xavier Becerra anyway.Plus:Trump's cognitive decline - Can Democrats raise the age issue after defending Biden?California primaries to watch - Linda Sanchez, Hilda Solis, and the LA Mayor's race (Karen Bass vs. Spencer Pratt)Post-Supreme Court redistricting fallout - How states like Tennessee and Florida are already redrawing lines to dilute Latino and Black voting powerNew Jersey's newest Congresswoman - A heartfelt moment with Rep. Anna Lilia MejiaLIVE at NALEO - The podcast is recording LIVE on July 15 at the NALEO Annual Conference in Los Angeles Latino Vote Summit - June 23 in D.C., featuring Sen. Ruben Gallego-Recorded May 15, 2026-Referenced in the episode:The Washington Post - California gubernatorial candidate under investigation over payments to influencers: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/05/15/tom-steyers-influencer-campaign-triggers-california-investigation-over-undisclosed-posts/Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →Supreme Court GUTS the Voting Rights Act: What It Means for Latino Political Power
2w ago00:45:33Tap to summarizeChuck Rocha and Mike Madrid break down the Supreme Court's landmark ruling on Section 2 of the 1964 Voting Rights Act... and what it means for Latino political power across America.Mike tried to sound the alarms on this ruling back in October. Now the bomb has gone off. With 56 Latino members of Congress and dozens of race-based districts in jeopardy, both Republicans and Democrats are about to learn a hard lesson about taking the Latino vote for granted.In this episode:Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act & racial redistricting explainedWhat this means for Latino and Black congressional seats across the countryTexas, Florida, & California redistrictingAre Latinos a partisan voting bloc?The Florida Senate race to watch: Alex Vindman vs. a Trump-backed RepublicanRecap of the White House Correspondents' Dinner & the scary security incidentCheck your emails: Latino Vote Summit — June 23rd in Washington, D.C.-Recorded April 29, 2026-Referenced in the episode:SCOTUSblog - In major Voting Rights Act case, Supreme Court strikes down redistricting map challenged as racially discriminatory: https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/04/in-major-voting-rights-act-case-supreme-court-strikes-down-redistricting-map-challenged-as-racia/EMC Research - Results from California Voter Survey: https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000019d-d6b0-d895-affd-d6f14bee0000Advocate - Inside Grindr’s WHCD party, which was so packed it ran low on alcohol: https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/inside-grindr-whcd-party-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →EXCLUSIVE: Antonio Villaraigosa on Running for CA Governor & Reclaiming the Latino Vote
3w ago00:50:16Tap to summarizeFormer LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joins Mike Madrid and Chuck for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the California Governor's race, the Democratic Party's broken relationship with Latino working-class voters, and what it will take to win them back.Villaraigosa doesn't just take on Trump, he challenges his own party. From ICE raids tearing families apart, to gas prices crushing Latino workers, to Democrats protecting sacred cows instead of their own constituents — this candidate for California Governor pulls no punches.Topics covered:Why Villaraigosa is running for California Governor in 2026How the Democratic Party is losing Latino and working-class voteHis plan to push back on ICE raids and protect immigrant communitiesGrowing up in Boyle Heights and the birth of the Chicano civil rights movementMarching with César Chávez and Dolores Huerta — and his thoughts on the controversy Why being pro-worker AND pro-business is the only path forwardCalifornia's affordability crisis and how it affects Latinos.-Referenced in the episode:Bay Area Council Economic Institute - THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MASS DEPORTATION IN CALIFORNIA: https://www.bayareaeconomy.org/files/pdf/Economic%20Impact%20of%20Mass%20Deportation_June%202025.pdfPublic Policy Institute of California - Business Regulation and Business Starts in California: https://www.ppic.org/publication/business-regulation-and-business-starts-in-california/UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute - Gasoline Costs and Affordability Pressures in California: Impacts on Latino Households: https://latino.ucla.edu/research/gas-costs-affordability-impacts-on-latino-households-ca/-Recorded, April 24, 2026-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →NYT Reporter Jazmine Ulloa on "El Paso," the Border Story America Gets Wrong
3w ago00:46:57Tap to summarizeAmerica thinks it knows the story of the border. According to New York Times political reporter and author Jazmine Ulloa, it doesn't.Jazmine joins Chuck Rocha and Mike Madrid to discuss her groundbreaking new book El Paso — part memoir, part history, part love story — and why the city at the heart of America's immigration debate has been misread, misrepresented, and misused for decades.Jazmine was sitting in a movie theater when her phone wouldn't stop buzzing. The 2019 El Paso mass shooting, a racially motivated attack three minutes from where she went to high school, became the catalyst for a book years in the making. Through the stories of five families who crossed through El Paso dating back to the Mexican Revolution, Jazmine dismantles the myth of the "Hispanic invasion" and reveals a city that existed long before the United States did.From the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to family separations under the bridge, from Los Niños Héroes to the rise of the grand replacement theory, El Paso makes the case that this isn't a border crisis. It's a mirror.Chuck and Mike also dig into the California Governor's race, breaking down the Eric Swalwell implosion, Xavier Becerra's surge among working-class Latino voters, and why with early ballots dropping in two weeks, the real election has already begun.In This Episode:How the 2019 El Paso shooting launched Jazmine's journey to write the bookWhy El Paso, not Ellis Island, is the true lens for understanding American immigrationNativism, xenophobia and the grand replacement theory: what history actually showsWhy working-class Latinos feel abandoned by both political partiesThe California Governor's race: Becerra, Swalwell, Villaraigosa and early voting is right around the cornerLatino Vote Summit: June 23rd, Washington D.C.-We highly recommend Jazmine's book: El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory.Buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/El-Paso-Families-Hundred-Migration/dp/0593471865-Recorded April 22, 2026-Referenced in the episode:The New York Times - A Startlingly Vivid Portrait of El Paso, and of America: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/books/review/el-paso-jazmine-ulloa.htmlDon't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →
Fixing Congress for Working-Class Power with Hector de la Torre | Latino Vote: Voices
Apr 2500:59:57Tap to summarizeMike Madrid sits down with longtime California leader Hector De La Torre Romo for a powerful conversation on public service, immigration, corruption, and the future of working-class Latino communities.Hector shares the remarkable story of his parents' journey from a dirt-floor shack in Guadalajara to a working-class home in Southgate, CA... and how their struggle shaped everything he's become. From translating real estate documents as a seven-year-old to serving in the California State Assembly, Hector shares a deeply personal story shaped by faith, struggle, and a relentless commitment to justice. His story is the Latino story.They dive into:The Latino migration experience through the gateway cities of Southeast LA CountyHow the closing of GM and Firestone plants transformed Southgate from 70% white to 80% Latino in just one decadeThe shocking Southgate corruption scandal, and how Hector risked his life to fight itHis surprising family connection to Santo Toribio Romo, the patron saint of migrantsWhy Mexican Catholicism is rooted in social justice, not social conservatismHis vision for Congress: Medicare buy-in reform, healthcare transparency, and government ethicsHow Democrats can counter Trump's narrative with an affirmative agendaThe truth about ICE detention and the U.S. citizens being swept up in enforcementNow Hector de la Torre is running for Congress in California's newly created 41st district. CA 41 is a blue-collar, majority-Latino seat that reflects the heart of Latino America.Learn about Hector's campaign by visiting: https://www.hectordelatorreforcongress.com/-Recorded April 10, 2026-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →EXCLUSIVE: Xavier Becerra on His Stunning Rise in California's Governor's Race
Apr 2200:18:24Tap to summarizeMike Madrid sits down one-on-one with Xavier Becerra, the frontrunning Democratic candidate for California Governor, for a candid conversation about the week that catapulted him to the top of the race.Secretary Becerra opens up about:His sudden surge to the front of the Democratic primary fieldWhat the Latino and working-class vote means for California's futureThe biggest rally of his political career — and what it told him about the electorateWhy this moment in California could have major implications for the rest of the nationPlus, Mike shares on-the-ground insights from hundreds of voters who are fueling Becerra's rise — and why the polls completely missed it.-Catch Mike's behind-the-scenes visit to Becerra's campaign rally: https://youtu.be/X5ENv7oaVuU?si=Zf_ltHVv4fUMtbjI-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →Latino Voters Are ROARING Back: Special Election Upsets & 17 Toss-Up Midterm Races
Apr 1500:51:18Tap to summarizeChuck Rocha and Mike Madrid are back together for a must-see episode. The data is undeniable: Latino voters are shifting away from the Republican Party at historic speed, and the 2026 midterms may be more consequential for the Latino community than any election in recent memory.Chuck and Mike break down the explosive overperformance by Democrats in recent special elections, including a 23-point swing in the Marjorie Taylor Greene seat in Georgia and a 56-point shift in heavily Latino precincts in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Then they go district by district through Cook Political Report's 17 toss-up House seats, showing how the Latino vote will be the margin of victory in the majority of them.Also the Latino Vote Summit is scheduled for June 23 in Washington D.C. If you are interested in sponsoring (or attending), email us at latinovotepodcast@gmail.com.-Recorded April 8, 2026-Referenced in the episode:The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter - 2026 CPR House Race Ratings: https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratingsGeorgia Secretary of State Website - Georgia Election Results April 7, 2026 – Special Election: https://results.sos.ga.gov/results/public/Georgia/elections/40726SpecialElectionNBC News - Wisconsin State Supreme Court Results 2026: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-elections/wisconsin-state-supreme-court-results-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →Trump Receives Worst Approval Ratings in U.S. History as Voters Prepare for the 2026 Midterm Showdown
Apr 800:44:42Tap to summarizeMike Madrid flies solo this week, and delivers one of the most data-packed, unfiltered episodes yet. No Chuck Rocha means no filter. Just raw polling analysis and the hard truths about what the numbers mean for Latino voters heading into the 2026 midterms.Mike breaks down why Donald Trump is polling at historic lows. TRUMP'S WORST APPROVAL RATING EVER. Worse than Nixon during Watergate, worse than Biden at his worst, and worse than any second-term president in modern polling history. He digs into new data showing Trump underwater on every major issue, with immigration remaining his only relative strength. And even that is slipping. With all this bad news, Mike ponders how this effects the 2026 midterms and whether Democrats are on track for a major wave election.But the real fire comes in the second half. Mike takes on both parties for failing Latino voters, with tons of evidence to back it. A Los Angeles Times article (depicting recent UC Berkeley data) shows working-class Latinos are leaving California over affordability. New data documenting persistent housing and wage gaps (UCLA LPPI research), and the fact that over half of Latino children in California are enrolled in Medi-Cal (Population Reference Bureau). He asks the uncomfortable question: if Latinos have the political power to change all of this, why aren't their own elected officials using it?-Recorded April 3, 2026.-Referenced in the episode:CNN poll conducted by SSRS Trump approval economyG. Elliott Morris / Silver Bulletin - The six big events that have dragged down Donald Trump's approval rating: https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-04-03-cotw-trump-approval-changepoints-analysisNewsweek - Republicans Brace for Midterms Massacre: https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-brace-for-midterms-massacre-11771849Los Angeles Times - Life after California: People find dramatically lower costs, are more likely to buy homes, new data show: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-31/life-after-california-people-find-dramatically-lower-costs-buy-homes-new-research-showsPopulation Reference Bureau - Medi-Cal Average Monthly Enrollment, by Race/Ethnicity: https://kidsdata.org/topic/735/medi-cal-monthly-enrollment-race/trend#fmt=2337&loc=2&tf=67,165&ch=10&pdist=73Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →Bobby Pulido on Winning Texas-15 Democratic Primary, the Quinceañera Strategy, & Uplifting the Latino Vote
Mar 3000:44:43Tap to summarizeTejano music star Bobby Pulido (José Roberto Pulido Jr.) returns to the Latino Vote Podcast after securing the 2026 Democratic Primary win for Texas's 15th congressional district to discuss why his campaign is turning heads across the country.Bobby breaks down how how his campaign turned a political attack about quinceañeras into a viral movement with over 2,000 families inviting him to celebrate with them, why rapid response and instinct matter more than focus groups, and how his team has kept Republican incumbent Monica de la Cruz on defense from day one.In this episode:How Bobby Pulido went from singer to congressional candidate in South TexasThe quinceañera attack that backfired on Monica de la Cruz — and how Bobby owned itBobby's responses to recent ICE detaining including the teenage mariachi brothersWhy Democrats should champion God, Family, and CountryThe Latino voter shift: Trump regret, tariffs, and what's actually moving voters in 2026How Bobby plans to win young Latino men backThe Latino Vote Summit: June 23rd in Washington, D.C.-Recorded March 25, 2026-Support Bobby Pulido's Campaign: https://bobbypulidofortexas.com-Referenced this episode:The New York Times - Texas 15th Congressional District Primary Election Results: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-texas-us-house-15-primary.htmlmitú - Bobby Pulido Took His Campaign to Quinceañeras and People Are Loving It: https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/news/bobby-pulido-people-over-party-campaign/CBS News - ICE detention of South Texas mariachi band teen brothers sparks bipartisan backlash: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/ice-detention-teen-brothers-south-texas-mariachi-band-bipartisan-backlash/El Paso Times - Hinojosa polling strong in red Texas districts, Abbott touts border security: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/03/12/texas-governors-race-how-is-gina-hinojosa-doing-in-election-polls/89117713007/The New York Times - Florida Special Election Results: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-florida-special-march-24.html-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →César Chávez Scandal & Illinois Primary Exposes Political Blind Spot
Mar 2000:53:22Tap to summarizeBreaking news shakes the Latino community as a bombshell New York Times investigation into César Chávez forces a major moment of reckoning. Chuck Rocha and Mike Madrid react in real time and unpack what these disturbing allegations mean for Latino political identity, labor history, and how we honor movements without deifying individuals.Then, the guys break down the Illinois Senate primary results: Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton edges out Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in a stunning upset — and Chuck is fired up that in a race where $50 MILLION was spent, virtually nothing went toward Spanish-language Latino outreach. They compare it directly to the winning strategy used in Texas and explain exactly why Democrats keep making the same mistake.Plus — Republicans are quietly panicking. New focus groups and internal polling show the GOP may be in serious trouble with Latino voters after their post-election honeymoon collapsed in record time.And finally, Chuck and Mike make their BIGGEST announcement yet: The Latino Vote Summit is happening June 23rd in Washington, D.C. — an invite-only, one-day convening of Latino leaders across business, labor, and politics. Don't miss how to get on the list.-Recorded March 18, 2026-Referenced in the episode:The New York Times - Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.htmlThe New York Times - Who Is Dolores Huerta, the Activist Accusing Chavez?: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/dolores-huerta-cesar-chavez-allegations-ufw.htmlNPR - Illinois Primary Election Results 2026: https://apps.npr.org/primary-election-results-2026/states/IL.htmlNPR - Democrats set a turnout record in Texas, so is this the year it turns blue?: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-5745932/texas-primary-democrats-turnout-talarico-crockettPunchbowl News - The Latino vote could crush Republicans: https://punchbowl.news/article/house/latino-vote-gop/Statement from the UFW Foundation: https://ufwfoundation.org/statement-from-the-ufw-foundation-Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Latino Vote Podcast!Watch our episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFind us on Substack: https://substack.com/@thelatinovotepodcastFollow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/TheLatino_VoteVisit our website for the latest Latino Vote news and subscribe to our newsletter: latinos.voteIf you want more of our discussions and behind the scenes please join our Patreon (www.patreon.com/thelatinovote) for exclusive content and opportunities!
Transcribe →