A rent payment, a grocery bill, and the cost of getting to work can make an election feel intensely personal. Ahead of the November 3 congressional elections, those everyday expenses offer a useful starting point for understanding the Latino midterm vote.
A Pew Research Center survey found that 86 percent of Latino registered voters consider the economy very important to their congressional vote. That concern crosses party lines: 89 percent of those supporting Democratic House candidates and 78 percent supporting Republicans said the same.
The findings suggest a shared priority, even among voters who disagree about how to address it. For business leaders, they also offer insight into the economic expectations of the people their organizations employ and serve.
What Affordability Means
In Pew’s survey, 80 percent of Latino registered voters said they were very concerned about housing costs, while 78 percent expressed that level of concern about food and consumer goods. Healthcare costs worried 77 percent.
These measures describe economic concerns rather than a ranking of voting issues. Together, however, they give substance to a campaign term that can otherwise feel abstract: affordability.
Official data provide additional context. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 3.7 percent over the year ending in September. Gasoline prices increased 9.1 percent that month, accounting for more than half of the overall monthly increase.
Those national figures do not measure a specifically Latino experience. They do help illustrate the price pressures surrounding an election in which household expenses feature prominently.
For executives, the connection extends to familiar decisions about compensation and benefits. A salary increase, an insurance premium, or the expense of commuting can influence how much financial breathing room a household has.
Employment and the Ability to Get Ahead
Economic security also involves confidence in the next paycheck.
In September, the unemployment rate for Hispanic or Latino workers was 4.7 percent, compared with 4.2 percent overall, according to BLS. The Latino rate showed little monthly change.
That distinction matters. Anxiety about employment should not automatically be read as evidence that unemployment is surging. Joblessness measures one aspect of the labor market; it cannot, by itself, establish whether workers feel financially secure or see opportunities to advance.
An earlier Federal Reserve survey adds perspective. In 2025, 62 percent of Hispanic adults reported doing okay financially or living comfortably, compared with 73 percent of adults overall.
That survey covered adults, not specifically registered voters, and predates the closing campaign. It nevertheless provides background on the financial circumstances surrounding this election.
Shared Concerns, Different Political Choices
Economic dissatisfaction has a political dimension, too.
An October memo from Equis, a Latino research organization within the progressive ecosystem, reported that 52 percent of Latino registered voters spontaneously named the economy and cost of living as the country’s most important issue. Its survey also found greater trust in Democrats than Republicans on handling the economy, 54 percent to 33 percent.
The findings indicate an advantage in that survey, not an election outcome. Trust, candidate preference, and actual turnout are different measures.
Pew’s survey included 774 Latino registered voters and was conducted from September 28 through October 4. Equis surveyed 1,800 Latino registered voters from September 23 through October 2. Neither captures every development in the campaign’s final weeks.
The Business Perspective
For Hispanic executives, these priorities raise practical questions: Do employment opportunities offer a credible path toward greater stability? How do benefits and compensation respond to the expenses employees face?
Those are leadership questions that will remain after the ballots are counted.
The election will determine who holds public office. Understanding the economic priorities behind the Latino midterm vote requires attention to what voters want those institutions to help make possible: a more manageable present and a more secure future.
