Shape the Impact Latinos Will Have on the 2008 Presidential Election
Last November, various exit polls showed the highest Latino turnout on record for a mid-term election. The constant growth in Latino voter participation confirms that in 2008 this segment of the electorate is poised to play a critical role in electing the next President of the United States. For this reason at this year's NALEO Annual Conference, as at our Conference in 2003, we will create the first opportunity for Presidential candidates to address the leadership of the Latino community in anticipation of the 2008 election cycle. We have extended an invitation to all of the candidates for the Republican and Democratic Nominations for President to address the NALEO Conference participants in separate Presidential Candidate Forums. In these unique forums, the candidates will address the leadership of the Latino community, who represent millions of constituents across the country.
Meet the Candidates
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Senator Joe Biden
"I know what defines an American from the neighborhood I was raised in, the influence of my faith, and my life experiences." Joe Biden was born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four siblings in an Irish-Catholic family. The family later moved to a middle-class neighborhood in Delaware. His father was a car salesman, and together with his mother, they worked hard to teach their children to stand up for what matters most. Joe graduated from The University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School and served on the New Castle County Council.
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Senator Hillary Clinton
Hillary was raised in a middle-class family in the middle of America. From that classic suburban childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, Hillary went on to become one of America's foremost advocates for children and families; an attorney twice voted one of the most influential in America; a First Lady of Arkansas who helped transform the schools; a bestselling author; a First Lady for America who helped transform that role, becoming a champion for health care and families at home and a champion of women's rights and human rights around the world.
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Senator Chris Dodd
Chris Dodd was born May 27, 1944, in Willimantic, Connecticut, the fifth of six children to the late Senator Thomas J. Dodd and Grace Murphy Dodd. From the outset, public service was in his blood; Chris’s father was one of the lead prosecutors during the Nuremberg Nazi war crimes tribunals that set the standard for America’s moral authority before he was elected to the United States Senate, while three of his aunts were well-known public school teachers in small communities.
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Senator John Edwards
John Edwards is running for president because he wants to build an America that lives up to its promise — one where we all share in prosperity at home and one that shows real moral leadership around the world. The next president faces tremendous challenges — from poverty and lack of health care, to energy and global warming, to fixing the mess in Iraq. We cannot wait until the next president is elected to begin to address these challenges. If we want to live in a moral and just America tomorrow, we must act today.
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Representative Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich's courageous and visionary presidential campaign excited a new generation of young Americans to involvement in the 2004 Democratic Primary elections. His speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention will long be remembered as a clarion call to purpose in the Democratic Party. Kucinich's Presidential candidacy was a continuation of his challenge to the war in Iraq. He led 125 Democratic Members of Congress in opposition to the war. His "Prayer for America" speech in Los Angeles in February of 2002 inspired tens of thousands of emails, many urging him to run for President.
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Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, where he grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British. Barack's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in small-town Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression, and then signed up for World War II after Pearl Harbor, where he marched across Europe in Patton's army. Her mother went to work on a bomber assembly line, and after the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and moved west to Hawaii.
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Governor Bill Richardson
Bill is running for President because he wants to makes a difference, and because he has the experience and record of accomplishment necessary to bring this country together. America needs leadership that can bridge the divides in this country and get to work focusing on the issues that are really important. The next few years are going to be a turning point for America and the world. It's time for a President who has the ability and the experience to lead us through the coming trials -- and to unite us so we can face the challenges that lie ahead.
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