In 2020, Latinos became the second largest ethnic voting group in the country. They make up the largest plurality of residents in the most populous states in the union, as well as the fastest segment of the most important swing states in the US Electoral College. Fitting neither the stereotype of the aggrieved minority voter nor the traditional assimilating immigrant group, Latinos are challenging both political parties' notions of race, religious beliefs, economic success, and the American dream. Given their exploding numbers—and their growing ability to determine the fate of local, state, and national elections—you’d think the two major political parties would understand Latino voters. After all, their emergence on the national scene is not a new phenomenon. But they still don’t.
Republicans, not because of their best efforts but rather despite them, are just beginning to see a movement of Latinos toward the GOP. Democrats, for the moment, still win a commanding share of the Latino vote, but that share is dwindling fast. Join veteran political consultant Mike Madrid, who uses thirty years of research and campaign experience at some of the highest levels on both sides of the aisle to address what might be the most critical questions of our time: Will the rise of Latino voters continue to foment the hyper-partisan and explosive tribalism of our age or will they usher in a new pluralism that advances the arc of social progress? How and why are both political parties so uniquely unprepared for the coming wave of Latino votes? And what must each party do to win those votes?
Mike Madrid has been a nationally recognized political consultant and authoritative voice on Latino voters for three decades. As a pioneer in Latino communications and outreach strategies for state, local, and national political campaigns, Madrid is one of the few consultants who has successfully worked for major campaigns on both sides of the aisle.
In 2020, Madrid co-founded the Lincoln Project, a Republican anti-Trump organization. He served as an adjunct lecturer on Race, Class, and Partisanship at the University of Southern California in Spring 2021. In 2023, he was awarded the Capitol Award by UnidosUS for a lifetime of service dedicated to the Latino community. Currently, Madrid is a Senior Fellow at UC Irvine's School of Social Ecology.
His book, The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy, was published in 2024.
