How Latino Voters Are Deciding This Southern California Swing District

Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, October 30, 2026

• Latino voters helped President Donald Trump return to office. Now, politicos are looking to California’s 58th Assembly District in Riverside to see if they’ll flip again. The district is traditionally democratic and heavily Latino. But in 2024, they swung for Trump … and Republican Leticia Castillo won the state assembly seat … by riding in on his coat tails.
• The Trump administration is following through on its threat to criminally investigate California election officials over alleged noncitizen voting.
• California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the state is ready for any attempts to intimidate or interfere with voters and poll workers.

The Trump administration is following through on its threat to criminally investigate California election officials over alleged noncitizen voting.

The federal government is suing California, alleging there are thousands of noncitizens on the voter rolls.

It’s ramping up its scrutiny into California’s election process by issuing subpoenas for state and local election officials to investigate their role in processing illegal ballots.

The Los Angeles County elections division confirmed that at least two of its employees received two grand jury subpoenas last week, with instructions to appear in court on Nov. 4.

Tricia Webber is Santa Cruz county’s Registrar of Voters and heads the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials.

“It seems that the federal government does not believe that we are doing our duties on the oath that we swore to do. It’s confusing as to the timing of it.”

On Wednesday, a federal judge denied the Trump administration’s request to require California election officials to set aside and stop processing the ballots of thousands of California voters who appear on a list of 20,000 names federal officials say are “likely” noncitizens.

Democrat Clarissa Cervantes is campaigning again for the Assembly District seat that goes from Riverside to Corona. And once again, she’s up against Republican Leticia Castillo who won by about 600 votes in 2024.

Cervantes positions herself as the anti-MAGA candidate she took on Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. The self-professed MAGA sheriff seized hundreds of thousands of ballots after the Prop. 50 election. Bianco claimed there was voter fraud.

In March, Cervantes and two other lawmakers sued Bianco and on the stump, she talks about the lawsuit a lot.

“When we went before the California Supreme Court I was getting messages: Were you scared? Are you nervous,” said Cervantes alongside gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra earlier this month.

Cervantes and the lawmakers won their lawsuit and a court ordered Bianco to return the ballots.

“I said, “No, I’m not afraid of people who want to undermine democracy,” said Cervantes.

Cervantes is 37-years-old and has been on the Riverside City Council for five years.

She’s running to represent a district that’s about 60% Latino, and one that’s been hit hard by ICE raids.

Cervantes strategy: attack Castillo who is a strong Trump supporter and tie her to the affordability issue.

“One of the biggest things that we’re hearing is the cost of these wars that are taking place. The cost of investing over a billion dollars into ICE. these are all on taxpayer dollars.”

Mike Madrid is a longtime Republican strategist and an anti-trumper. He focuses on the Latino vote.

Madrid thinks tying Castillo to the unpopular president is the right political move.

“Look, she’s a Trumper, and that’s what matters in this moment. Nobody cares about anything else. That’s why Cervantes is running the race that she is.”

But Madrid says if Cervantes is elected it’d be a mistake to continue focusing on Trump and immigration in Sacramento. He says like most Americans, Latino voters are focused on the economy.

“When no party has any solutions, they’re going to resort to these old caricatures of what is driving Latinos, which in this case is immigration.”

Madrid says if Cervantes doesn’t come up with economic solutions that speak to Latinos that vote will swing again. He says Latinos are “de-aligned” from both parties.

“and by dealignment, what I mean is extraordinary loss of confidence and trust in both parties,” said Madrid.

Castillo appears to understand that. In recent weeks, her political ads have been promoting policies to bring down the cost of living. One idea: eliminate the state’s gas tax.

But Madrid says that strategy comes a little too late.

In Jurupa Valley, a city that borders Riverside, Chuy Garcia sits behind the cash register at the neighborhood market on a recent Thursday.

Garcia has owned the store for 25 years and calls himself a “common sense” Republican.

But Garcia isn’t paying attention to the race because he doesn’t see the point.

“Everybody just wants to say what you want to hear to get votes,” said Garcia.

He’s concerned about the ICE raids and the effect it’s had on his neighborhood and business. He mentions his parents came here illegally.

But Garcia also blames the Democrats for the state’s high taxes.

“I don’t understand why they can’t see what is bad for business.”

Garcia also votes on cultural issues, especially when it comes to transgender girls in sports

Castillo is trying to appeal to that segment of the electorate, mostly Latino men. She declined multiple requests for an interview but here she is on the conservative podcast “Latino Free Minds” on October 19:

“Talking to a lot of people, they’ll say ‘you’re anti’. No. I’m about family values, protecting the kids, those types of things.”

Castillo’s campaign slogan: faith, family and freedom. And she’s been hitting hard on Cervantes’ past DUIs.

But an October surprise could scramble her campaign strategy.

The California Post published a story reporting that in the past, Castillo operated an Adult website. Castillo told the Post she takes responsibility for the activity but has since found God.