Latino Voters Hold the Key to Hilton and Pratt's California Upstart

As California primaries approach, Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt need strong Latino turnout to upend expectations, but backing Donald Trump risks alienating Latino voters who have grown skeptical of the president. The column argues Latinos are a pivotal, volatile swing bloc in California politics—much more responsive to local issues and economic concerns than national partisan labels—and notes polling showing waning Latino support for Trump. Hilton’s embrace of Trump and Pratt’s mixed signals are criticized as misreading the landscape; unless they decisively distance themselves from Trump and prioritize resonant Latino-focused messaging and policy, their chances of pulling off a historic upset remain slim.