A new analysis from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) and the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) reveals significant political differences between Latinas and Latino men in California — especially among younger voters and those without bachelor’s degrees. The findings, drawn from the May 2026 Berkeley IGS Poll of 1,912 Latino registered voters, challenge the notion that California’s Latino electorate behaves as a single political bloc.
California Latinas are more likely than Latino men to prioritize protecting immigrant communities, opposing the Trump administration’s agenda, and defending democracy and voting rights. According to the report, 69% of Latinas say protecting immigrant communities is “very important,” compared with 52% of Latino men. On “fighting the Trump agenda,” the gap is identical: 68% of Latinas versus 51% of Latino men. Democracy and voting rights receive the strongest support across both groups, with 87% of Latinas and 77% of Latino men rating the issue as very important.
“These findings show why California’s Latino registered voters cannot be understood as a single political constituency,” said G. Cristina Mora, professor of sociology and co-director of IGS at UC Berkeley. “Gender tells us part of the story, but the differences become much clearer when we also consider voters’ age and educational attainment. That more complete picture is essential to understanding the priorities of the Latino electorate.”
The gender divide is most pronounced among voters under 30. Among younger Latinas, 88% say protecting immigrant communities is very important, compared with 60% of Latino men — a 28‑point difference. On fighting the Trump agenda, the gap widens to 30 points: 82% of Latinas under 30 versus 52% of Latino men. And on defending democracy and voting rights, 92% of Latinas under 30 rate the issue as very important, compared with 74% of Latino men.
The report also finds substantial differences among voters without bachelor’s degrees. Seventy‑three percent of Latinas without a bachelor’s degree say protecting immigrant communities is very important, compared with 51% of similarly educated Latino men. On fighting the Trump agenda, the gap is 19 points (69% versus 50%). On democracy and voting rights, the difference is 12 points (88% versus 76%). By contrast, college‑educated Latinas and Latino men express more similar views, with gender gaps narrowing to between four and seven points depending on the issue.
These findings complicate broad narratives about the political attitudes of working‑class Latino voters. Even among voters with similar levels of education, Latinas and Latino men can place substantially different importance on the same issues.
“Although this survey represents California registered voters, the patterns it identifies deserve national attention,” said Nicholas Vargas, associate professor of Chicanx/Latinx Studies at UC Berkeley and co-author of the report. “As both parties compete for Latino voters in races that will determine control of Congress, they should not assume that Latinas and Latino men — or voters of the same age and educational background — are responding to the political environment in the same way.”
Language adds another layer of distinction. Among English‑dominant voters, Latinas are 20 points more likely than Latino men to prioritize both protecting immigrant communities and fighting the Trump agenda (68% compared with 48%). Among Spanish‑dominant voters, the gender difference shrinks to just two points on both measures.
The study identifies several possible explanations for these differences, including the types of workplaces, community institutions, and information sources that connect Latinas and Latino men to political issues.
Sharp Gender Divide Among Latino Voters was first published by California Latino News and is republished with permission.
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