Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — SEPT. 1, 2026

Media Contact:

Alex Sanchez

970-340-8502

Economic uncertainty, immigration, and housing costs dominate top concerns in sixth annual Colorado Latino Policy Agenda

Respondents blame President Trump and cite growing financial struggle, heightened fears surrounding immigration enforcement as critical issues in 2026

DENVER — For the sixth consecutive year, economic issues dominate the list of concerns for Latino voters in Colorado, with low wages and an increasingly high cost of living atop the list of priority issues they would like the state and federal governments to address, according to results of the 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda survey released today.

This year, voters reported heightened economic uncertainty, with a significantly larger share of respondents feeling less financially secure than a year ago. The number of Latinos reporting that their financial situation has worsened in the past year (43% in 2026; 33% in 2025) outnumbered those who say it has improved (22% in 2026; 33% in 2025) for the first time since pandemic-era polling in 2022.

When asked about the direction of the country (66% wrong direction, 25% right direction), the blame falls squarely on President Trump. Among Latinos who believe the nation is heading in the wrong direction, three-fourths (75%) point to President Trump as the primary reason. That sentiment persists throughout demographic groups and regions in the state.

Nearly 7-in-10 respondents (68%) disapprove (55% strongly disapprove) of the job President Trump is doing, while 30% of respondents approve (15% strongly approve), for a net rating of -38. That is considerably worse than the net rating of -14 (55% disapprove, 41% approve) in the 2025 poll.

Beyond the ongoing struggle with the cost of living and stagnant wages, Latino voters have elevated their emphasis on immigration policy reform. As deportation efforts have ramped up, so has the importance of immigration reform (+3% from 2025), ranking as the highest non-economic policy priority in the 2026 survey. Driven by the reality that 4-in-10 respondents now say they know someone who has been deported, “protecting immigrant rights/immigration reform” (23%) is tied with “lowering healthcare costs” (23%) as the No. 4 federal policy priority.

“Year after year, the data shows a similar theme: Latino families are still struggling with wages that do not keep up with the cost of living, housing they cannot afford, and healthcare that costs too much,” said Alex Sánchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas. “This year, that struggle is being compounded by increasingly hostile attacks on immigrant families, creating fear and instability across our communities. Latino voters blame President Trump for that climate, and they are demanding solutions that lower costs, protect immigrant families, and improve their quality of life. As we head toward the November elections, Colorado’s leaders cannot afford to ignore us.”

Launched in 2021, the annual Colorado Latino Agenda (CLA) is a statewide public research initiative co-led by Voces Unidas and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). The 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda report — to be published in late September — is informed by a statewide poll of 1,606 Latino registered voters, the largest annual survey of Latino voters in the state. The survey is designed to provide a representative, nonpartisan snapshot of views of the state’s second-largest and second-fastest-growing ethnic voting bloc on pressing policy, political, and other relevant issues.

The data spanning the past six surveys sends a clear message that the Latino community in Colorado is demanding action to improve its economic well-being. While economic concerns have consistently ranked as the top priority among Latinos for six years, this year’s data reflects a deeper sense of financial vulnerability, leading to a notable increase in dissatisfaction in the direction both the state and the nation are headed.

Among the key findings this year:

The 43% of Latinos reporting their personal financial situation has worsened over the past year is nearly twice as many as those who said it has improved (22%), and marks a sharp decline from the modest improvements reported in 2025.
Affordable housing has surged as a federal policy priority, rising from 13% in 2025 to 28% in 2026, making it a top-three issue for Latino voters. The issue ranked No. 4 among state policy priorities (20%) this year.
Protecting immigrant rights and immigration reform remains a top-five priority (23%), and when combined with those seeking border security (8%), immigration policy stands as a top-three overall concern at the federal level. At 19%, discrimination and racial justice ranked just outside the top five national priority issues.
The prevailing political climate is viewed with increasing dissatisfaction, with 66% of Latinos saying the nation is on the wrong track compared to just 25% who feel it’s headed in the right direction. That compares to 38% right track and 53% wrong track in 2025. Among those who believe the country is off course, 75% explicitly blame President Trump and his policies.
For the first time since CLPA polling began, more Latinos say Colorado is on the wrong track (46%) than those who say the state is headed in the right direction (40%), a significant downturn from 54% right track and 34% wrong track in 2025.
Latino voter mobilization continues to fall short, with 42% of registered Latino voters reporting they have not been contacted by any political party or candidate to discuss policy or voting.

Polling for the 2026 CLPA was conducted online and over the phone, in both English and Spanish. BSP Research fielded the poll from July 1 through August 11, 2026, with a margin of error of ±2.4%. With 571 residents from rural counties and more than 100 residents from every congressional district polled this year, the survey is designed to capture a representative sample of Latino voters statewide and provide the opportunity to explore variation across districts and regions.

“While economic concerns have been a consistent theme throughout our six years of polling, the 2026 data reveals significantly deeper financial anxiety, with a plurality of Latinos reporting their personal financial situation has become worse over the past year,” said Dr. Gabriel Sanchez, who led the poll for BSP Research. “That continued economic pressure, compounded by the growing reality of immigration enforcement impacting families directly, has created a distinct sense of vulnerability across communities. This year’s survey underscores that Colorado’s Latino population is feeling the impact of these enduring economic headwinds and political uncertainties now more than ever.”

Economic Uncertainty and the Cost of Living

Addressing the high cost of living/inflation (42% said it is a priority for state government to address, 33% a priority for the federal government), improving wages and income (39% state, 33% federal), lowering healthcare costs (27% state, 23% federal), and creating affordable and attainable housing (20% state, 28% federal) were uniformly cited as the most important issues facing the Latino community that state and federal elected officials should address in 2026. Homelessness (19%) ranked fifth among state issues.

Consistent with the overall concern about the economy, Latinos now report a worse financial situation than one year ago. Only 22% of respondents say their financial situation has improved over the past 12 months, while 43% say it has worsened. That represents the highest number of respondents reporting a decline in financial health since our post-pandemic poll in 2022. Low-income Latinos are being hit the hardest, with 62% of those earning less than $40,000 reporting a worsening financial situation.

Increased Focus on Immigration

Immigration policy has become an increasingly urgent issue for the Latino community. As deportation efforts continue to impact neighborhoods and workplaces, the protection of immigrant rights has solidified its standing as a top-five federal priority, tying for No. 4 among issues for the President and Congress to address (23%). The 2026 survey highlights that 4-in-10 respondents know someone who has been deported, a statistic that underscores the human impact behind the policy numbers.

Latinos continue to express strong support for policies that provide separation between state agencies and federal immigration enforcement. A majority of respondents (60%) oppose allowing the Governor of Colorado to voluntarily share personal information about immigrants with ICE. Additionally, 77% of respondents support the right of Colorado residents to sue federal officials who violate their rights or cause physical harm during immigration raids.

Housing Affordability

Housing has become a defining policy challenge for Colorado Latinos in 2026. The increase from 13% identifying housing as a top federal priority in 2025 to 28% this year highlights that the cost of housing is consuming an unsustainable portion of household budgets. The increase is particularly prominent in Congressional Districts 6 (36%), 4 (35%), and 7 (31%). In response, respondents voiced strong support for state-level protections, with 78% favoring limits on annual rent increases for existing tenants and 75% supporting stronger eviction protections.

Healthcare Access and Well-being

The 2026 CLPA survey also reveals ongoing economic challenges for Latino families in Colorado when it comes to accessing and maintaining healthcare. While the survey only included registered voters (rather than all Latinos in the state), an alarming number of those who are currently uninsured reported they lost coverage due to job loss or unemployment (35%). Another 25% cited the rising cost of insurance as the barrier.

These gaps are having a measurable impact on community well-being. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of respondents reported skipping or delaying wellness visits, regular check-ups, or vaccines in the last year. Additionally, the survey found that 1-in-4 Latinos in Colorado say their overall health has deteriorated over the past 12 months — a trend that is even more acute among low-income households, where 38% reported their health has gotten worse.

“The data from our 2026 survey paints a troubling picture of families being forced to choose between their health, and that of their families, and their immediate financial survival,” said Dusti Gurule, President and CEO of the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). “When one in four of our community members is forced to skip essential check-ups just to make ends meet, that should serve as a call to action. Our policymakers must prioritize accessible, affordable healthcare, because when our families are denied the ability to stay healthy, our entire state suffers the consequences.”

Political Engagement and Mobilization

While Colorado’s state-level officeholders maintain net-positive approval ratings, the federal government faces deep skepticism. Disapproval of President Trump’s job performance is 68% overall and is overwhelming among Latino Democrats (85% disapprove) and Independents (74% disapprove). Even among Latino Republicans, more than a quarter (26%) disapprove of Trump’s performance.

Among Colorado’s federal and state-wide elected officials, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet has a +23 approval rating (53% approve, 30% disapprove), U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper has a +21 approval rating (52% approve, 31% disapprove), Attorney General Phil Weiser has a +15 approval rating (45% approve, 30% disapprove), and Secretary of State Gena Griswold has an approval rating of +20 (47% approve, 27% disapprove) among Latino voters. In the state’s most competitive congressional districts, Rep. Jeff Hurd (CD-3) has a +7 approval rating (39% approve, 32% disapprove) and Rep. Gabe Evans (CD-8) sits at -8 (34% approve, 42% disapprove). In CD-5, Rep. Jeff Crank is also underwater with Latino voters at -13 (25% approve, 38% disapprove).

Overall, 37% of Latinos in Colorado currently approve of the job Republicans in Congress are doing compared to 56% approval for Democrats in Congress. There is a similar trend with approval ratings of the state legislature, with 38% approval for Republicans compared to 60% approval for Democrats.

When it comes to political influence, 81% of Latinos expressed concerns that campaign contributions from big companies and the wealthy make it harder for their communities to see responses to their policy priorities. When asked which groups had too much influence over politics in Colorado, their top five responses were wealthy individual donors (50%), political consultants and outside PACs (38%), corporate business groups (37%), oil and gas companies (35%), and local government associations (29%).

At 17% of Colorado’s overall eligible voter population, the Latino electorate has had significant influence in recent federal and state elections. It continues to outpace other racial groups in growth in the eligible voter population in the state. However, findings from the past six years show that Latino voter outreach and mobilization have fallen far short of where they should be to see Latino voter turnout reach its full potential.

At the time of the interviews, 42% of Latino registered voters said they had not been contacted by any political organization or candidate regarding the 2026 election, yet 83% said they are “likely” to “completely certain” they will vote this year. The percentage improves slightly in the competitive district of CD-3 (35% no contact), but holds at 41% in CD-5 and drops to 51% in CD-8, where nearly 40% of the population is Latino. This persistent gap in outreach remains a significant barrier to the Latino electorate reaching its full potential in the state. Consistent with previous years, Latinos are more likely to be mobilized by their own personal and professional networks — friends, family, and co-workers — than by official party efforts.

A goal of the annual CLPA is to inform elected officials of opportunities to connect and respond to the concerns of this important constituency by presenting the Latino community’s most relevant issues in real-time. The complete 2026 CLPA report planned for release in late September takes a more comprehensive look into the issues impacting Latinos in Colorado. Voces Unidas and COLOR encourage all those interested in the views of Latinos in Colorado on pressing policy, political, and other relevant issues in the state to download and read the full report at www.coloradolatinoagenda.org, where survey toplines and crosstabs are also available.

About Voces Unidas: Voces Unidas de las Montañas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. We focus on organizing, advocacy, policy, research, leadership, and voter engagement programs. Learn more at vocesunidas.org.

About COLOR: Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) is a community-rooted 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to enable Latine individuals and their families to lead safe, healthy, and self-determined lives. Learn more at colorlatina.org.

###