By Nidia Cavazos
March 18, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Amid signs that Republicans may be losing some of the Latino support that the party picked up in 2024, grassroots organizations are stepping in to boost GOP Senate candidates in key races during this year’s midterms.

The LIBRE Initiative Action, a conservative-leaning Latino political group, is set to endorse Republican Sen. Jon Husted for the Senate seat in Ohio and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in the North Carolina Senate race, CBS News has learned.

Both races could prove crucial in deciding whether the GOP holds onto control of the Senate. Democrats are eyeing North Carolina as one of their likeliest opportunities to flip a seat, after nominating former Gov. Roy Cooper. In Ohio, the party is aiming to return former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown to the Senate following years of GOP gains in the state.

Latino voters make up a fast-growing share of both states’ populations, making the group an important factor in any competitive race. The LIBRE Initiative Action says it is planning to emphasize economic issues.

“In every poll that we’ve seen and everywhere we go, the economy continues to be number one for the voting Latino citizen,” Daniel Garza, the group’s senior adviser, told CBS News ahead of Wednesday’s endorsement announcement.

“It’s a priority to the Latino community. Jobs, inflation, the cost of the utility bill — all of these issues matter. We don’t want elected officials who are going to increase the tax burden, impose even more employee mandates, regulations on energy production, health care and make it harder to deliver these services, thereby increasing the cost of everything to the Latino community.”

According to Garza, the organization plans to support these Republican Senate candidates through voter education, community engagement and grassroots outreach, noting that both states have rapidly growing Latino populations that could prove decisive in competitive races. One-on-one conversations have been especially effective in reaching and persuading Latino voters in past elections, he added.

“I really feel that the wild card is going to be the Latino voters in states like Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina, and to a certain extent in Georgia. They’re going to play hard and we are going to make sure we do everything to mobilize them.”

The endorsement highlights the growing importance of Latino voters in competitive Senate and House races that will help determine the balance of power in Congress during President Trump’s last two years in office.

SIGNS OF WANING SUPPORT AMONG LATINO VOTERS

Republicans are hoping to retain the gains they have picked up with Latino voters — a group that once skewed heavily Democratic but has increasingly looked like a winnable constituency. Mr. Trump won 48% of Latino voters nationwide in 2024, up 12 points from 2020, according to a Pew Research Center study that looked at verified voters.

But there are signs that this trend may be reversing, as polls show most Latinos disapprove of Mr. Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration.

In elections across the country since November 2024, Latino voters have shown high turnout, and heavily Latino areas have tilted Democratic. In Texas, the first major primary contest in this year’s midterms, new primary voters in Democratic primaries earlier this month were disproportionately Latino, and their turnout skewed heavily Democratic this year.

In the 2025 gubernatorial race in New Jersey, every county voted more Democratic than in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats swept the 10 counties where Latinos make up at least 20% of the population, expanding on their 2024 margins and flipping counties that Mr. Trump won in 2024.

A similar trend was seen in last year’s Virginia gubernatorial race, where Hispanic voters swung toward Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who won 67% of their vote across the state. Mr. Trump made large gains in Manassas and Manassas Park in 2024, which are more than 40% Latino. In 2025, these two areas turned out for Spanberger.

While Mr. Trump is not on the ballot in 2026, the midterms will offer a temperature check for his administration’s policies. Voto Latino, a left-leaning organization, is working to mobilize Latino voters in support of Democratic candidates, denouncing the president’s economic policies and, most recently, the U.S.’s war with Iran.

“He is proving once again how out of touch he is with the economic reality people have faced over the past year under his failed economic policies,” Voto Latino said in a statement after Mr. Trump described rising gas prices amid the Iran war as “a very small price to pay.” “Families are asking a simple question: why are congressional Republicans moving faster to fund foreign conflicts than to address the cost-of-living crisis right here at home?”

FORMER RNC CHAIR FACES OFF AGAINST EX-GOVERNOR IN NORTH CAROLINA

Mr. Trump endorsed Whatley, the former RNC chair, in the North Carolina Senate race ahead of the state’s primary in March. He will go on to battle Cooper in what is expected to be a competitive race.

North Carolina has a growing Latino population, with more than 1.1 million residing in the state as of the 2020 Census, up 40% from a decade earlier, according to University of North Carolina figures. They are most concentrated in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte. With an election that can be defined by narrow margins, this voting bloc — which makes up more than 10% of the state’s population — could serve to be critical.

In an interview with CBS News after winning the Republican primary, Whatley addressed the support that Democrats have picked up in elections since 2024.

“What I’m seeing all across North Carolina is: People want better jobs, they want bigger paychecks, they want lower costs and they want their communities and their kids to be safe. Those are the issue sets that we’re talking about across North Carolina. President Trump carried North Carolina three different times. I was part of his team in all three of those elections, and we know how to win in North Carolina.”

Cooper, meanwhile, has been elected to statewide office in North Carolina six times, having served as governor and attorney general.

“I’m going to take that same problem-solving to Washington that I used here in North Carolina to lower costs and make life more affordable for folks,” Cooper told supporters during a news conference following his March primary victory. “My opponent is an out-of-touch D.C. insider, been up there for years, big oil lobbyist who is only looking out for himself and his well-connected friends.”

OHIO’S GROWING LATINO POPULATION

The Buckeye State has nearly 600,000 Latinos, making up around 5% of the state’s population — a smaller population than North Carolina’s, but one that has almost tripled over the last quarter-century. An estimated 235,000 are registered to vote, according to LIBRE. Latinos are spread throughout some of Ohio’s largest cities, including Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Husted is running to defend his Senate seat after being appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in 2025 to replace JD Vance, who resigned from the Senate to become vice president.

He is widely expected to face Brown, a Democrat who served as a senator for three terms before losing in 2024 to Sen. Bernie Moreno, the first Latino to represent the state in the Senate. Ohio’s primary is set for May 5.

The GOP has increasingly done well in Ohio, which was once viewed as a swing state. Mr. Trump won the state by 11 percentage points in 2024, and it has not elected a Democratic governor since 2006.

But Ohio has been identified as a potential pickup opportunity by Democrats. Given the slim majority Republicans hold in the Senate, the battle for this seat will be competitive, and both left- and right-leaning groups are working to mobilize as many voters as they can.

(Charlotte, NC) — The LIBRE Initiative Action, a Latino political group committed to supporting candidates who want to advance freedom-minded solutions, today officially endorses Michael Whatley in his bid for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina.

Whatley is the leader North Carolina needs to champion policies that increase affordability, expand economic opportunity, strengthen families, and ensuring the American Dream is affordable.

Key Points: Why LIBRE Action Supports Michael Whatley

• Whatley served in the U.S. Department of Energy, giving him valuable experience in energy policy at a time when North Carolina continues to play an important role in America’s energy economy.
• As Latinos are projected to represent nearly 30% of new workers entering the energy sector, North Carolina needs leaders who understand how energy policy supports jobs, economic growth, and opportunity for working families.
• Whatley oversaw President Trump’s transition team efforts on agriculture, energy, and environmental policy, equipping him to address rural workforce shortages that affect farmers and agricultural communities across the state, many of which rely on Latino workers.
• Whatley previously worked in banking policy, providing him with experience on issues that affect homeownership, lending, and financial opportunity for North Carolina’s growing population of Latino homeowners.
• His experience in economic and financial policy positions him to help ensure that families across North Carolina, including the growing Latino community, have the opportunity to buy homes, build businesses, and create generational wealth.

Sandra Benitez, Senior Advisor to LIBRE Action, released the following statement:
“Michael Whatley represents a bold, principled vision for North Carolina, one that aligns with LIBRE Action’s commitment to economic freedom and affordability, limited government, and opportunity for all. His proven leadership experience, including his work in both the private and public sectors, uniquely positions him to deliver real results.

Whatley will fight to cut wasteful spending, lower taxes, and reduce the regulatory burden that makes it harder for Latino entrepreneurs and families to succeed. He understands that strong, sustainable economic growth and affordability is the foundation of lasting opportunity.

As North Carolina enters a pivotal Senate race, we are proud to mobilize our grassroots army, volunteers, and Latino supporters behind a candidate who shares our values and has the drive to defend them in Washington. Michael Whatley will be a vocal champion for pro-growth policies that expand the American Dream.”

Paid for by LIBRE Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. 
www.LIBREAction.com

Latino Group Announces Voter Engagement & Mobilization ahead of November.

Columbus, OH — The LIBRE Initiative Action, a national Latino political organization committed to supporting candidates who advance freedom-oriented solutions, today announced its endorsement of Jon Husted for the United States Senate in Ohio.

Key Points:

• With nearly 285,000 Latino voters representing over 3% of Ohio’s population the stake’s in this election couldn’t be clearer and show why our community is key.
• LIBRE Action will mobilize Latino voters across Ohio to support Husted’s campaign, emphasizing policies that expand economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and empower families to achieve the American Dream.
• Sen. Husted has supported economic policies like the extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts which prevented the largest tax increase – which also paved the way for a small business friendly tax system that will empower over 30,000 Latino owned small businesses to thrive.
• Senator Husted has consistently led the fight to lower the cost of living: permitting reform to unleash Ohio and American energy and his laser focus on making the health care system more affordable.
• Since his time in the statehouse fighting for tax reforms, workforce development, and regulatory reform Sen. Husted is a tried-and-true champion for limited government the empower people, not Washington.

Lair Marin-Marcum, LIBRE Action-OH advisor, released this statement:

“Ohio’s Latino community is growing, and families across the state are looking for leaders who will expand opportunity and create an environment where hard work is rewarded. Jon Husted has consistently championed policies that promote economic mobility, safer communities, and greater opportunity for working families.

Throughout his career in public service, Senator Husted has demonstrated a commitment to empowering individuals, supporting entrepreneurs, and ensuring that every family has the chance to succeed. LIBRE Action is proud to support Jon Husted and will work to engage Latino voters across Ohio to help ensure his continued leadership in the United States Senate.”

In the months ahead, LIBRE Action will conduct robust voter engagement efforts throughout the state, including community events, grassroots outreach, and voter education initiatives, to ensure Latino voters understand what is at stake in the upcoming election.

Paid for by LIBRE Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. 
www.LIBREAction.com