Veterans Day Message: Honoring Latino Military Servicemembers And Their Commitment To America.

LULAC Encouraged by Strong Latino Voter Turnout in 2016 Elections

November 9, 2016

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic organization, was encouraged by strong turnout from Latino voters throughout the country. Latino voters easily exceeded projections of 13 million with strong evidence of Latino surges in the key battleground states of Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Virginia and Nevada. Latino turnout increased over 17% since 2012, a trend that LULAC feels will continue for the foreseeable future. We congratulate our members and allies for helping to create another record Latino vote.

Not surprisingly, Latino candidates for elected office did very well last night. LULAC congratulates the following newly elected Latino candidates:

  • LULAC Member Ricardo Rosselló won the Governorship of Puerto Rico during a critical time for the people of Puerto Rico.
  • Former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto was elected the first Latina in the U.S. Senate and with Marco Rubio’s re-election, the number of Latinos in the Senate has increased to four.
  • Darren Soto has become the first Puerto Rican Congressman elected from Florida in the 9th Congressional District.
  • Adriano Espaillat was elected the first Dominican-American to Congress in New York’s 13th district.
  • Ruben Kihuen won Neveda’s 4th Congressional District.
  • Salud Carbajal won California’s 24th Congressional District.
  • Nanette Barragán won California’s 44th Congressional District.
  • Lou Correa won California’s 46th Congressional District.
  • LULAC Member Judge Marilyn Zayas-Davis won a seat on the Ohio Court of Appeals

Latino voters also played an instrumental role in defeating controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. “To anyone who doubted the growing electoral power of Latino voters,” stated LULAC National President Roger C. Rocha, Jr. “Yesterday’s election was a reaffirmation of just how far we have come as a community and a showcase of the growing importance that Latino voters will continue to play in our nation’s civic life.”

The stunning upset by Donald Trump to become our nation’s President-elect surprised pollsters and analysts given his controversial positions on immigration and other issues. Yet running for President and serving as President are two very different things, and Mr. Trump has already indicated that he plans to bring Americans “together as one united people.” To do this he will need to reach out to women, Latinos and other diverse Americans, many of whom were alarmed by some of the candidate’s more inflammatory rhetoric.

“As always, LULAC stands ready to work with our nation’s elected leaders to advance the issues and policy positions of the Latino community,” stated President Rocha. “However, we will not hesitate to defend the Latino community from unjust and unfair laws and policies that negatively impact the quality of life of Hispanic Americans.”

“LULAC has an 88-year legacy of standing up for the civil rights of the Latino community,” stated LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes. “We have persevered through segregation, the great depression, recessions and a world war. Hispanic Americans should rest assured that we will continue to fight for them and to help them improve their quality of life with our nine-decade commitment to community service.”

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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.