Latino turnout jumps in Michigan primary as community’s political power grows

Latino turnout in Michigan's 2026 primary rose more than 10% compared to the 2022 midterm, according to advocates including MI Poder, a grassroots group focused on the state's Latino political power. The group's post-primary research found a 13% to 18% turnout increase from 2022, concentrated among voters who had rarely or never voted in primaries before.

Fourteen Latino candidates in Michigan combined for more than 144,000 votes on August 4, with eight advancing to the general election, including state Senators Darrin Camilleri and Mary Cavanagh. MI Poder's organizing director Pete Vargas said concerns over the economy and ICE enforcement actions are likely to shape the community's vote heading into November, as the group plans roughly a quarter-million voter contacts over the next ten weeks.

Vargas noted Latino voters favored Democratic Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed over Haley Stevens by a wide margin in districts where the group operates, though he stopped short of crediting the organization alone for any candidate's victory.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.