The Latino Vote
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.
The Latino Vote
The Situation: Gorillas, God, And the Last Swing Vote Left in America
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Chuck Rocha returns from his gorilla-tracking adventure in Rwanda (complete with wild stories and a new honorary tribal chief title) to dive deep with Mike Madrid into why Latino voters are uniquely positioned to reshape American politics.
In this episode, Mike breaks down the stunning data showing that while other voters remain locked in partisan camps with only 2-3% swings, working-class Latinos are swinging 11-15% between elections—making them the only true swing voting bloc left in America. From kicking out Republicans across the country in 2025 to determining crucial Texas House races in March of this year, Mike and Chuck explore why Latino voters' willingness to hold politicians accountable regardless of party might be the most rational response in an otherwise polarized system.
Plus: reflections on faith and politics in Latino communities, the inside story of the Jasmine Crockett-Colin Allred Senate race dynamics, and why this generational transformation will define American politics through 2050. And yes, Chuck shares what it's really like to sit face-to-face with silverback gorillas (spoiler: there's no glass between you).
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Recorded: January 14, 2026
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Referenced in the episode:
- Check out Senator Ruben Gallego's 'Path Home' housing affordability plan video: https://x.com/SenRubenGallego/status/2011451211225166201
- 'Can James Talarico Reclaim Christianity for the Left?' form the Ezra Klein podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-james-talarico.html
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