Marilinda Garcia, a GOP candidate for Congress in New Hampshire
Latinos have the potential to break political records in this mid-term election, said the head of a national non-profit group that works toward greater Latino involvement in politics.
If the House of Representatives gains four more Latino members, Congress would have its highest number of Latinos in history, said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.
As for the ballot box, NALEO estimates that nearly 8 million Latinos will vote this year, an increase of 1.2 million from 2010.
“Latinos will play a key role in shaping the nation’s political landscape in two weeks,” said Vargas at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C on Tuesday. “Latinos are poised to demonstrate their power as both voters and candidates on Election Day, with Latino candidates likely to make history as the largest class of Latinos in the 114th Congress.”
Congressional races in Arizona, California, New Hampshire and West Virginia could help Latinos who appear to have a strong shot at winning reach a new record in the House of Representatives, NALEO said, by raising their number from 28 to 32.
Candidates running strong campaigns include Republican Marilinda Garcia, a state representative in New Hampshire who is challenging incumbent Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, a Democrat; former Arizona State Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat who is running unopposed for the 7th Congressional District seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, also a Democrat; Republican Alex Mooney, a former Maryland state senator who is running in the West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District against businessman Nick Casey, a Democrat. The West Virginia seat is being vacated by incumbent U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican who is running for U.S. Senate.
Nearly 20 Latinos are running for statewide office, including in such places as Rhode Island and Wyoming, NALEO…..
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