November 5, 2010
Contact: Patricia Guadalupe (202) 546-2536
Cell (202) 509-6316
pguadalupe@naleo.org
LATINO CANDIDATES ACHIEVE POLITICAL MILESTONES IN STATE AND LOCAL RACES
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund released the following statement regarding Latino candidates in state and local races this midterm election year:
“Latino candidates continue to make political progress in state and local races across the country.
- State Senate: The number of Latino State Senators increased from 64 to 66 (see Table 1) -- 60
Democrats and 6 Republicans. Several of these candidates successfully ran in districts which do
not have Latino majorities – Hawaii, Missouri and Nevada -- demonstrating that Latinos are able
to run in non-Latino districts and can have broad appeal across all ethnicities and communities.
- State House: While the number of Latinos in lower chambers nationwide – 180 – remained
unchanged (see Table 2), the net losses of Latino Democrats and an Independent were offset by
net gains of Latino Republicans. Texas experienced the largest gain (5). Of the 180 Latino State
Representatives, 147 are Democrats, 33 are Republicans.
- In Maryland, State Delegate Víctor Ramírez becomes the first Salvadoran-American in the State
Senate.
- In Texas, Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Elba García becomes the first Latina Commissioner
on the Dallas County Commissioners Court.
- In Providence, Rhode Island, Dominican-American lawyer Angel Tavares becomes the first
Latino mayor to lead the state’s capital city.
“Latinos are proving that they can attract votes from diverse constituencies, and govern across all ethnicities,” said NALEO Educational Fund Executive Director Arturo Vargas. “And these historic milestones demonstrate they are participating fully in all regions of our nation.”
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About NALEO Educational Fund:
The NALEO Educational Fund is the nation's leading non-partisan, non-profit organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.