Their numbers growing, Latinos gain clout in new Congress
By LUIS ALONSO LUGO | December 14, 2018 at 6:08 PM EST - Updated December 14 at 7:43 PM
In this Nov. 29, 2018 photo, Rep.-elect Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio speaks during an interview with the Associated
WASHINGTON (AP) — A record 43 Latinos elected to Congress are set to take the oath of office in January, including the youngest woman ever elected, two Latinas from Texas, the first Latino to represent Ohio and a woman born in Ecuador.
A few are ascending to leadership roles, demonstrating the growing clout of the 57 million Latinos who live in the United States. New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray Lujan will move into the fourth-highest position in Democratic leadership, becoming the highest-ranking Latino in the history of the House. In the Senate, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto will become the first Latina ever in charge of the Democratic Party's campaign arm for Senate races.
Francisco Pedraza, a political scientist at University of California, Riverside, attributed the largest Latino representation ever to a larger turnout propelled by rhetoric from President Donald Trump about immigrants, but he said much more needs to be done to bring out the Latino vote. Latinos are the nation's largest minority and constitute 18 percent of the total population, yet their political impact is diluted due to their low electoral turnout.
http://www.wtoc.com/2018/12/14/their-numbers-growing-latinos-gain-clout-new-congress/
