Hispanic Evangelical leader Samuel Rodriguez believes conservatives could most certainly lose ground with Latino voters in the 2026 midterm elections through what he calls votes of abstention as the community struggles with higher costs of living and the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement.
During an exclusive interview with The Christian Post at the 25th anniversary summit of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., the NHCLC president outlined the main concerns that congregational leaders convey to him at the national level.
He also analyzed their relationships with the federal administration, detailed the psychological support initiatives for ministers and reviewed the achievements and challenges of the movement after a quarter of a century of operation. When asked about the electoral climate among Hispanic pastors in the lead-up to the midterm elections next month, Rodríguez acknowledged a marked institutional concern about the shift in civic engagement trends.
Hispanic support for conservative proposals has declined significantly compared to previous cycles, he said. “The Latino vote, which we managed to reach close to 50% in support of a conservative Christian agenda focused on family values, no longer exists in 2026,” Rodríguez told the Spanish-language Christian Post. He attributed this shift primarily to economic pressures stemming from international conflicts that drove up fuel and food prices, as well as immigration enforcement measures implemented by U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Kristi Noem’s previous tenure at the Department of Homeland Security. Rodriguez, who is of Puerto Rican descent and pastors New Season Church in Sacramento, California, emphasized that Hispanic believers do not support platforms that promote abortion, gender ideology or positions aligned with Marxism and antisemitism.