The Latino Vote
The Latino Vote Podcast brings together the most sophisticated Latino voices in the country to provide you with insightful, accurate, unbiased, and timely information relating to the voting patterns and inclinations of the Nation’s Hispanics. Mike Madrid, a brilliant GOP strategist who has worked for several U.S. presidents, and who is also the founder of the 2020 “game-changing” Lincoln Project, and Chuck Rocha, the senior strategist of the Bernie Sanders Campaign and the most impactful political consultant in the country in the last quarter century, face off with host, Jason Villalba, a three-term former member of the Texas Legislature and now the respected Chairman of the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation. Together, they bring you a ringside seat to a “no-holds barred” discussion of, The Latino Vote.
The Latino Vote
Kitchen Table Issues. A look at Latino Independent Voters with Dr. Derek Wakefield
Chuck and Mike welcome our first guest of Season 2025, Dr. Derek Wakefield, a political academic whose groundbreaking research challenges conventional wisdom on Latino voting behavior. They break down how Latino voters—especially independents—prioritize economic issues over the traditional racial or immigration-based appeals. Dr. Derek findings reveal why Republican messaging made inroads with Latino Independents in past elections and the Democratic Party’s missteps in voter outreach. Tune in for a data-driven conversation that redefines Latino political identity and the future of American elections.
Dr. Derek Wakefield is a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University and an incoming Assistant Professor at Bucknell University. He received his PhD in Political Science and Social Policy from Princeton University. His research focuses on Latino politics, such as what messages best persuade Latino voters, trends in Latino partisan identity, and how campaigns conduct Latino outreach.
To learn more about Dr. Wakefield visit him at:
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Recorded February 5, 2025
- Dr. Derek Wakefield Research (https://www.derekwakefield.com/research)
- California water releases ordered by Trump draw criticism: ‘It’s going to be wasted’ (https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5126534-trump-california-water-release-order-criticism/)
- Comparing economic performance for Latinos under Trump, Biden (https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2024/comparing-economic-performance-for-latinos-under-trump-biden/)
- The economy is the top issue for Latino voters in 2024 (https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/09/24/in-tight-u-s-presidential-race-latino-voters-preferences-mirror-2020/re_2024-09-24_latino-voters_0-05/)
- For Hispanic voters, the economy, health care and coronavirus outbreak are top issues in 2020 election (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/09/11/hispanic-voters-say-economy-health-care-and-covid-19-are-top-issues-in-2020-presidential-election/ft_2020-09-11_hispanicissues_01-png/)
- Education, the economy top issues for Latinos in 2016 (https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2016/10/11/views-of-the-nations-direction-and-2016s-top-issues/)
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