Republican drops ominous warning for Trump as they vow to vote against GOP

A Republican mayor in California is saying he intends to vote for Democrats in next month's midterms, warning that people are starting to question their support for President Trump.

Victor Martinez, the mayor of Mendota in the San Joaquin Valley, is still a registered Republican but told the Financial Times he intends to support Democrats in the next election.

"I think a lot of people are waking up," Martinez, who was born in El Salvador, told the paper. "They're really voting for what's right and what needs to happen."

His decision comes as Trump's position with Latino voters is up for a test following the gains that helped get him back in the White House in 2024.

The Financial Times reports that some Hispanic voters are growing disillusioned with the rising cost of fuel, the cuts to social programs and the administration's hardline approach to immigration.

The Fresno Bee reported Martinez had been tracking suspected ICE vehicles and alerting residents to their reported locations. Community groups likewise reported immigration arrests in the surrounding Fresno area.

"Shame on them for coming out to our communities and instilling fear," Martinez told the paper. He went on to say Mendota could well become a ghost town during the enforcement operations.

The mayor, who has been a registered Republican since 2024, made it very clear his opposition to the immigration operations was not a matter of party. He also called on farmers and elected officials, including those Republican officials who support Trump, to speak up.

His comments come as polling suggests the GOP has lost ground with Latino voters since Trump's 2024 victory.

Pew Research Center says Trump won 48% of Hispanic voters in 2024, up from 36% four years prior.

But an NBC News/Telemundo survey released this month found that Latino registered voters preferred Democrats over Republicans to have control of Congress by 59% to 35%.

The same poll found that two-thirds thought the administration's deportation policies had gone too far and three-quarters disapproved of Trump's management of the economy and cost of living.

The divide is very real in California's Central Valley, where immigration enforcement and agricultural employment come together in a number of competitive congressional districts.

Democratic strategist Tory Gavito told the Financial Times that some Latino voters now feel tricked by Trump.

Whether Martinez formally leaves the GOP remains to be seen, but he is willing to make what appears to be a protest vote and switch to the Democrats despite being a registered Republican.