Latino Victory Fund Announces Endorsement of Four 2016 Congressional Candidates
- Ma. Elena
- Nov 05, 2015 06:00 AM EST
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The Latino Victory Fund, a super PAC of the Latino Victory Project, has announced its endorsement for four 2016 congressional candidates.
The project's vision lines up with Democrats and was created to boost the number of Latinos holding public office, NBC News wrote.
Cristobal Alex, Latino Victory Fund's president, said that the recently chosen congressional candidates are "proven Latino leaders who have been champions for our community and the issues" they care about, the news outlet added. He noted that more endorsements will be revealed later.
The Latino Victory Project is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to supporting Latino candidates and raising turnout of Latino voters, Observer wrote. The group also aggressively attacks candidates whose plans can potentially harm the Latino populace.
"These men and women represent some of the most exciting and inspiring Latino leaders in our country today," said Melissa Mark-Viverito, one of the three co-chairs of the Latino Victory Project, as quoted by Observer. "They each have a hard fight ahead of them to bring more Latino representation to our government and we'll need your help to get them elected."
Mark-Viverito is a surrogate for Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and is seeking to have more national prominence, the news outlet noted. She also advocates for immigration reform and other progressive movements.
Listed below are the four endorsed candidates, as provided by NBC News:
- Darren Soto - a Democratic member of the Florida Senate who has a Puerto Rican father. Born in New Jersey, Soto is seeking to replace Senatorial candidate Alan Grayson as Florida's Representative for its 9th Congressional District. Soto, a lawyer in Florida, was elected to the state's Senate in 2007 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2010.
- Nanette Barragan - a Democrat and a daughter of Mexican immigrants. She is seeking to take the position of retiring Democratic Rep. Janice Hahn and is facing state Sen. Isadore Hall, also a Democrat, who has earned the endorsement of the National Organization of Women. Barragan, also a lawyer, was the first Latina to take up a seat on Hermosa Beach, California's City Council. EMILY's List endorses Barragan as well.
- Salud Carbajal is seeking to replace incumbent and retiring Rep. Lois Capps in California's Congressional District 24 seat. Carbajal spent eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, which included serving in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. He was elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in 2004.
- Pete Gallego - Texas' former representative for its 23rd congressional district. Born and raised in Alpine, he lost his congressional seat for re-election to Republican Will Hurd in 2014. Gallego was the first Latino to serve on the Texas Legislature from West Texas.
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