Latinos and the 2024 Elections: Demographics, the Economy and Religion as Signals to Electoral Shifts

The 2024 US election saw large numbers of American Latinos supporting the Republican Party and voting for Donald Trump. This work considers a few explanations for this phenomenon: The relative youth of the Latino electorate, the importance of immigration and the economy for Latino voters, and the increasing appeal of Pentecostalism to Latino voters. I argue first that reliance on social media for political information and news, along with deep cultural vulnerabilities makes Latino youth specifically vulnerable to mis and disinformation. Second, issues of immigration and the economy are of central importance to Latinos, and particularly to Latino men under 40 who experience heightened fear of job loss due to undocumented migration. Finally, the growing appeal of Pentecostalism, and specifically Prosperity Gospel theology, has resonated with many Latino voters. This movement has often framed Trump’s financial success as God’s blessing, encouraging the belief that his leadership will in turn bring material prosperity to the Latino community as well. As their demographic presence in the US continues to grow, it is uncertain how these cultural, economic, and religious dynamics will reshape the US political landscape in the long term.