New National Poll Shows Latino Voter Support for Pro-Ocean Conservation Candidates Cuts Across Party Lines
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New National Poll Shows Latino Voter Support for Pro-Ocean Conservation Candidates Cuts Across Party Lines
80% of Latino voters say a candidate who supports stronger policies to protect the coastline and ocean would make them more likely to vote for that candidate
NEW YORK – Today, Azul, the leading non-profit working with Latinos to protect the ocean, announced findings from its latest nationwide poll on Latino viewpoints on ocean protection, environmental issues and public policy. The poll found broad and durable concern about environmental issues among Latino voters across the U.S., as well as strong support for candidates who support stronger policies to protect the coastline and ocean.
“Across party lines, Latino voters agree they want leaders who will protect our ocean,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Azul’s Founder and Executive Director. “Our poll makes that clear. Our communities are facing real threats from pollution and offshore drilling, and we can’t afford to wait. Latino voters are paying attention, and they want action. These results show the power of our communities to shape ocean policy and protect our coasts, our health, and our ocean for generations to come.”
Support for stronger ocean protections also cuts across party lines, with 80% of Latino voters saying a candidate who supports stronger policies to protect the coastline and ocean would make them more likely to vote for that candidate, including 75% of Republican Latino voters and 87% of Democrat Latino voters.
Congressman Salud Carbajal: “The 2026 National Azul Poll findings reinforce what I’ve been hearing from my constituents for years: continued drilling of fossil fuels is harming both the people and wildlife who live near the extraction sites. On the Central Coast, the 2015 Refugio oil spill showed us the true cost of oil drilling — not just in dollars, but in our coastal ecology, our public health, and our economy. That price is simply too high, and this data shows the rest of the country agrees.”
Michael Sutton, Executive Director, Goldman Environmental Prize: “The Azul Poll has made clear that Latino voters not only lead efforts to protect our Blue Planet but also strongly believe governments must counter threats against environmental defenders and the press in Latin America.”
Ayana Melvan, Executive Vice President, Aquarium Conservation Partnership: “These incredible findings from Azul’s recent poll really hit home for ACP and our member aquariums. The message from ocean lovers is crystal clear: we want a healthy ocean economy that protects both marine wildlife and human rights. Eighty-one percent of people are calling for stricter enforcement against illegal fishing. Illegal fishing does way more than just harm marine wildlife and collapse fragile underwater ecosystems—it creates a lawless environment where human rights are ignored. Seventy nine percent of the public supports an international body to stop forced labor. Consumers are sending a massive message to the seafood industry: we don’t want human suffering on our dinner plates. True ocean conservation and human rights go hand-in-hand, just like a clownfish and its anemone. That is why the Aquarium Conservation Partnership stands proudly alongside Azul. Together, we are urging leaders to dive past voluntary corporate promises and lock down legally binding protections that keep our high seas safe for everyone!”
Maite Arce, President & CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation: “Latino families have always known that the ocean and our public lands are more than beautiful places. They are where culture lives, where traditions are passed from one generation to the next, and where children learn what it means to care for what we inherit. This poll makes that responsibility unmistakable: 86 percent of Latino voters say government must conserve land and ocean for present and future generations, 76 percent say the ocean sustains family traditions, and 85 percent say beaches and parks must stay open to everyone. Access is where stewardship begins. When communities can reach the water and the land, they become the people who will protect them.”
Dr. Chad Nelsen, Surfrider Foundation: “Thanks to Azul for once again reminding us how committed Latino voters are to taking climate action and protecting our ocean and coasts. The results are definitive and provide a clear signal that if your organization is not working with Latinos, you are missing a very important community that is overwhelmingly committed to conservation.”
Read more about what climate and ocean leaders are saying about the 2026 National Poll.
Some key findings from the 2026 National Azul Poll on Latinos and the ocean:
Latino voters, across party lines, support stronger ocean protections and candidates who do as well:
• 80% of Latino voters say a candidate who supports stronger policies to protect the coastline and ocean would make them more likely to vote for that candidate.
• 75% of Republican Latino voters say stronger coastal and ocean policies would make them more likely to vote for such a candidate, compared with 87% of Democrat Latino voters.
• 90% say clean beaches and oceans are essential to the economy and quality of life.
Large majorities of Latino voters are concerned about environmental issues and climate change:
• 94% of Latino voters say environmental issues such as pollution and global warming are personally important, including 59% who say they are very important.
• Concern is especially high for water pollution (92%), lead and chemicals in cities and drinking water (91%), air pollution (90%), conserving the ocean (86%), protecting endangered species (86%), and global warming (84%).
Latino voters support stronger action to prevent plastic pollution:
• 86% support doing more to prevent plastic pollution.
• 76% support a legally binding international treaty to end plastic pollution.
Latino voters support banning offshore drilling, even at a personal cost:
• 76% support banning offshore drilling and replacing it with renewable fuels such as solar and wind.
• 64% would still support an offshore-drilling ban even if it meant paying more per month for gasoline and household gas.
Latino voters support stronger enforcement against illegal fishing and protections for workers:
• 81% support stronger enforcement against illegal fishing.
• 79% support an international body to identify forced labor in fishing and sanction countries that fail to protect workers’ rights.
Azul also polled respondents to learn more about their personal identification with the ocean and coastlines:
Latino support for protecting the ocean remains strong:
• 90% say clean beaches and oceans are essential to the economy and quality of life.
• 76% say the ocean is important to maintaining their family’s traditions and culture.
Increasing access to the ocean remains a priority for Latino voters:
• 85% agree that government should maintain beaches and parks open to everyone.
• 78% agree that all beaches should be open to the public.
The poll, conducted by Barreto Segura Partners (BSP) Research for Azul, surveyed 2,102 Latino voters across the United States. Interviews were held in English or Spanish according to the individual’s preference. In addition to a national sample, respondents were oversampled in California (313), Florida (273), Texas (284), Chicago (170), New York-New Jersey (225), New England (271), the Pacific Northwest (171), and the rest of the United States (271), as well as a Colombian (265). The survey ran from August 7 to September 8, 2026, with an overall margin of error of +/- 2.1%.
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About Azul
Azul is an ocean justice organization working with Latino communities to protect our blue planet. Founded in 2011, Azul has developed and executed campaigns that achieved groundbreaking ocean conservation policy victories at local, national, and international levels.