Chuck is back from Oaxaca — and he brought receipts. This week, Chuck Rocha and Mike Madrid reunite to break down the elections and dynamics that will shape the Latino political landscape heading into the 2026 midterms. They open with tributes to Jesse Jackson and Chuck's former union president John Nash, reflecting on the multiracial coalitions that have always driven real change in America. Mike drops a history lesson on the 80th anniversary of Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark school desegregation case that predated Brown v. Board of Education by eight years.
Then it's all strategy: the guys dig into the Texas special elections — including the Jasmine Crockett vs. James Talarico Senate race and the fascinating three-way dynamics of the Julie Johnson vs. Colin Allred primary — before pivoting to a district-by-district breakdown of key 2026 House battlegrounds across California, Colorado, and Arizona. Mike explains the "30% magic number" — the historical threshold at which Latino population share has flipped California seats from red to blue — and asks whether that rule still holds in today's rapidly shifting electorate.
If you want to understand where the 2026 midterms will really be decided, this is your battlefield briefing.
The numbers. The districts. The strategy. The Latino vote isn’t an afterthought anymore. It’s the front line.
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Recorded February 18, 2026
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