Latina candidates from both parties could make unprecedented gains in Congress today, Russell writes.

Why it matters: A fresh slate of Mexican American and Central American women are running for U.S. House seats in Florida, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia and Maryland, highlighting the expanding influence of Latinos outside of the Sun Belt.

By the numbers: There are 50 Latino Democrats and 33 Hispanic Republicans running for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to both parties.

• Currently, 40 U.S. House members — 9.2% — are Latino, according to an Axios review of bios, previous candidate statements and family histories.
• The majority of those seats (29) are held by Democrats, an Axios analysis found.

The intrigue: A record number of Latina Republicans are running for office, even in states with few Latino elected officials.

• Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican Mexican American U.S. Air Force veteran, is running to replace U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) in a redistricted seat that is now leaning GOP. She could become Florida's first Mexican American woman in Congress.
• Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Mexican American Republican and former small-town mayor, is running in a tight race in Oregon and could become one of the state's first Latinas in Congress.
• Conservative Salvadoran Americans Yuripzy Morgan of Maryland and Yesli Vega of Virginia also are seeking to make history as the first Salvadoran American women in Congress.

Yes, but: Democratic Mexican American women candidates could also make history.

• Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, is running in a tight Colorado race to become the state's first Latina in Congress.
• Andrea Salinas, an Oregon state lawmaker, also is trying to become one of the state's first Latinas in Congress. She's in a close contest.

What they're saying: "In the case of the (rise of) Latina women who are running for office, I think that has something probably to do with the outreach that the Republicans have been doing," José Díaz-Balart, anchor of MSNBC’s “José Díaz-Balart Reports,” “NBC Nightly News Saturday” and “Noticias Telemundo," told Axios.

• Díaz-Balart said he will be watching not just the House races but how well GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does among Latino voters.

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Latino voters could decide some of the nation’s most hotly contested races in today’s elections, Astrid writes.

The big picture: Races in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania that could help decide which party controls Congress could come down to a tight margin of victory.

• The Pew Research Center estimates 34.5 million Hispanics are eligible to vote this year, making them the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the U.S. electorate.
• This year's midterms come as some Latinos have been making a shift to the right, although most analysts say they don't expect them to leave the Democratic party in huge waves.

Details: Latino voters could swing the Senate race between Democrat Mark Kelly and Republican Blake Masters, according to an analysis by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

• NALEO's analysis found the margin of victory for that seat in the 2020 special election that went to Kelly was 2 percentage points. Latinos in Arizona make up over 19% of the electorate.
• Latinos could also swing the gubernatorial and Senate races in Georgia, where Latinos are 4.4% of registered voters and the margin of victory in the 2021 special Senate election was 2 percentage points (Kemp beat Abrams in 2018 by only 1 percentage point).
• Independent political analyst Alex O. Diaz said Latino voters in Nevada will also be key to the close race between Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt.
• That race is extremely close partly because of the growth in the suburbs, which are more white and right-leaning, Diaz said.

The bottom line: Latinos' impact in key races comes down to turnout, analysts say.

• "I think there will be a good turnout rate, but it doesn't look like the turnout rate will be record-breaking," Matt A. Barreto, a Democratic pollster and co-founder of BSP Research, told Axios.

The story of fútbol superstar Lionel Messi and the complicated relationship he and many migrants have with their home countries are the subjects of NPR's first dual language podcast, Marina writes.

The big picture: "The Last Cup/La última copa" comes as Latinos storytellers are increasingly getting space to tell their stories on U.S. radio and podcasts.

Details: "The Last Cup," hosted by Argentine American journalist Jasmine Garsd, comes out Thursday. It tells the story of Messi finding fame in Spanish soccer clubs but floundering when playing for Argentina, interspersed with Garsd's own tale of fleeing Buenos Aires during a national crisis and longing to go back.

• Each episode will be available in English and in Spanish, and each language will have its own feel, Garsd says.
• "Some jokes and references work in Spanish but not in English, and we didn't want Spanish listeners to just get a dub," Garsd explains. "Each one has its own personality and shines on its own," she says.

Background: Messi, 35, has said this year’s World Cup, which starts Nov. 21, will be his last.

• He left Argentina as a preteen two decades ago and debuted as a pro with FC Barcelona in 2003.
• He’s won the prestigious Ballon d’Or a record seven times, but faced criticism back home for not delivering for Argentina when it came to international competitions.
• It wasn't until last year that Messi helped Argentina win an international contest, the Copa América.

What they're saying: "Fútbol is never just fútbol," Garsd says. "It's a window to understanding the world."

• The podcast serves as an avenue for talking about the immigrant experience and all the fears, alienation and other feelings that come with it, Garsd tells Axios Latino.

State of play: Futuro Media, which co-produced "The Last Cup," has also launched popular podcasts in the past two years, including "LOUD: The History of Reggaeton" and "Anything for Selena."

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A 1928 Mexico City police team's baseball hats are among several recreated for a new collection set to be released tomorrow, Russell writes.

Driving the news: Seattle-based Ebbets Field Flannels on Friday will release a limited series of vintage baseball caps of teams from Mexico that played from 1918 to 1929.

• It's the company's second release of the hats.

What they're saying: Ebbets Field Flannels founder Jerry Cohen told Axios he chose the teams for this release because of their beautiful designs and unique logos.

• They also include hats for a team sponsored by an electricians' union and those for a team called Ocampo de Jalapa in Veracruz, which was a hotbed of early Mexican baseball, Cohen said.
• "That's a team we don't know a lot about but I picked it because of the unusual fabric (and) that crosshatch pinstripe."

The company's first limited release in August instantly sold out. The company brought some back due to demand.

1. A Peruvian parliamentary commission recommended yesterday that President Pedro Castillo be barred from public office for five years for allegedly violating the law when he said he'd consider ceding territory to Bolivia.

• A different group will vote on whether to start an impeachment process against Castillo over separate accusations that he led a bribery scheme.
• Congress is scheduled to begin debating tomorrow. Castillo has denied all accusations.

2. Members of the ruling party in Nicaragua were declared winners in all municipalities yesterday after Sunday's local elections, which were marked by reports of voter intimidation and arrests.

• The electoral council, with ties to ruling party Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, barred most opposition parties from operating last year.
• In July, Ortega's party took over the city halls of five opposition-held districts.

Cooks in Olocuilta, El Salvador, make a massive pupusa during a trial run on Oct. 26. Source: via Noticias Telemundo

A Salvadoran community hopes to break a world record by making the largest known pupusa, Marina writes.

Details: The plan is to make an 18 foot-wide pupusa this Sunday to commemorate the International Day of the Pupusa.

• The attempt will take place in the town of Olocuilta, which already holds the Guinness world record with a 15 foot-wide pupusa baked in 2015.