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.
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Latino Identity in America: How Do We Perceive Ourselves?
1w ago00:36:58Tap to summarizeNew Pew Research report shows growing pessimism about Latino identity and a partisan split in how identity is viewed. Mike and Chuck offer their thoughts on this and more…In This EpisodeICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, TXNew Pew Research report on Latino American identityCampaign strategy: current money allocation is not workingGraham Platner campaign suspended in MaineNALEO Conference in Los Angeles and 50th anniversary-Recorded July 9, 2026-Referenced In This Episode:CNN - ICE officer fatally shoots man while conducting traffic stop in Houston, agency says: https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/07/us/houston-ice-shooting-deathPew Research Center - U.S. Hispanics Are Divided on Whether Their Identity Helps or Hurts Them in America: https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2026/07/09/u-s-hispanics-are-divided-on-whether-their-identity-helps-or-hurts-them-in-america/The Guardian - Graham Platner ends Maine Senate campaign after sexual assault allegation: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/08/graham-platner-maine-senate-campaign-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 →The Populist Moment: What Voters Are Really Looking For
2w ago00:49:13Tap to summarizeAs far-left progressive Democrats find success in the primaries and incumbents are unseated, a new political landscape reveals itself. Chuck and Mike discuss what is driving voters this way and what this means for future campaigns.In This Episode:Latino Vote Summit Recap and looking forward to NALEOChuck’s experience at the Texas Democratic ConventionSupreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots and its anticipated impactsCongressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Espaillat loss to DSA candidate in New YorkElections to watch in Colorado-Recorded June 29, 2026-Referenced in this Episode:Associated Press - Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-mailed-ballots-trump-elections-5f24f718ea92a33838485ce6302e079eDaily Beast - Married MAGA Candidate Caught With Latest Mistress: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-endorsed-ken-paxton-caught-with-latest-mistress-tracy-duhon/The Hill - New York progressive sweep sparks reckoning as Hispanic caucus loses Espaillat: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5941619-hispanic-caucus-espaillat-new-york-primary/-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 →The Latino Vote Summit: Shaping the Future of the Latino Agenda
Jun 1700:31:21Tap to summarizeChuck and Mike are back from their break and excited to share more information about the Latino Vote Summit on June 23rd. In this episode, they’ll dive into what you can expect from this event: what will be going on, who you will see there, and plans for future events.The Summit offers a unique opportunity for leaders and organizers from both sides of the aisle to share their perspectives on major issues facing Americans. You’ll want to hear what they have to say about the economy, immigration, healthcare, and more.-Recorded June 17, 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 →California Governor's Race Latino Vote Update: Xavier Becerra vs. Steyer's $200M Machine
May 2000:44:15Tap 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
May 1400:45:33Tap 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
May 800:50:16Tap 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
May 600:46:57Tap 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!
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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!
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