Some Arizona Latino voters sour on Trump before midterms

Some Latino voters in Arizona's Yuma County who backed Donald Trump in 2024 say they are frustrated with him before the November 3 midterm elections, citing prices, immigration enforcement and other issues.

Fernando Nunez, a 22-year-old American whose family has Mexican roots, said he had canvassed for Trump two years ago but will not vote for Trump-backed Republican candidates this time. He said he was angry over the administration's lack of transparency on the Jeffrey Epstein files, the war with Iran and higher prices for gasoline, insurance and food.

Nunez said he would vote for independent candidates rather than Republicans or Democrats.

Yuma County, on the US-Mexico border, was part of the Latino shift toward Trump in 2024. Trump won the county by a 20-point margin, while about 40 percent of voters in Somerton, an agricultural town that is almost entirely Latino and usually favors Democrats, backed him.

Somerton Mayor Gerardo Anaya said he thought many residents had voted against the Biden administration because of inflation and the daily arrival of thousands of migrants. He said some Trump voters were now having a “rude awakening.”

Residents interviewed in Somerton complained about the cost of meat, diesel and gasoline. One gardener of Mexican descent said he no longer supported Trump and objected to immigration raids that he said had gone beyond criminals.

Not all discontent is turning into support for Democrats. The gardener said he planned to abstain, while hair salon owner Jaime Sanchez said he remained undecided. Jose Manuel Castro, an evangelical pastor in nearby San Luis, said he saw “a great deal of discontent” but believed many religious Latino voters could continue moving toward the Republican Party over the longer term.