Election Results Signal Strong Repudiation of Environmental, Climate and Conservation Rollbacks
WASHINGTON — Voters made their voices heard in the 2026 midterm elections, amid signs of increased Latino voter engagement and turnout in many of GreenLatinos' key strategic states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, and Texas.
Election results look promising for Latino communities and GreenLatinos' key priority issue areas, including clean air, renewables, public land protection, and more.
Following the initial release of Midterm Election results, GreenLatinos released the following statements:
“Over the last two years, our movement has sustained significant rollbacks across the environmental, climate, and conservation sectors. From ongoing rollbacks of clean air and water protections to delays in clean energy implementation and more, our communities and our movement have suffered, and that must stop now.
“It is not enough just to win power. We expect this new Congress to reverse harmful policies that prioritize corporate profits, deregulation, and greed over protecting the public health of the most vulnerable across our communities. More specifically, we expect them not to take our votes and immediately return to Congress and work with the outgoing Republican majority to sacrifice our land, water, air, and health in order to pass a flawed permitting bill that will make it easier for data centers to override the will of local communities.
According to The New York Times, Latino voters swung D+28 in favor of lowering energy costs and repudiating the Trump administration's environmental rollbacks. We’re hopeful for the future and look forward to working with the new leaders in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to ensure the voices of GreenLatinos communities and our members are heard.” – Mark Magaña, GreenLatinos Founding President & CEO
“States across the nation have newly elected governors, legislatures, and countless local officials. Many of these are Latino leaders serving in roles for the first time, bringing pride to our community. Couple this with successful ballot questions related to environmental needs, and what you see is that States are poised to deliver innovation for lasting environmental policy. We have the opportunity to partner with and hold accountable the Federal Delegations to play their part in collectively improving the lives of their constituents.” – Ean Thomas Tafoya, GreenLatinos Vice President of State Programs
“The message from this election is clear: Americans want leaders who put their health, communities, and future ahead of corporate polluters. The current Congress must not use its remaining time to rush through reckless permitting reform that weakens environmental safeguards, silences frontline communities, and gives fossil fuel companies another free pass. And the incoming Congress must act with urgency to confront the unprecedented assault on public health and climate protections under the Trump administration. From efforts to dismantle EPA's Endangerment Finding to rollbacks of methane standards, power plant pollution limits, Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, and protections against soot and smog, the damage is far-reaching. We need Congress to use every tool at its disposal to restore accountability, defend clean air, and rebuild the protections our communities depend on. Latino families have already paid far too high a price for pollution and climate inaction. They deserve a government that protects their health, not polluters' profits.” – Irene Burga, GreenLatinos Climate Justice & Clean Air Director
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About GreenLatinos
NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD. GreenLatinos convenes an active comunidad of environmental, conservation, and climate justice leaders rooted in the power and wisdom of our culture, united to uplift our priorities, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
