Despite accounting for more than 17 percent of the American population, Latinos make up only 1 percent of the elected officials in the U.S., according to a new study and interactive map produced by the Latino Victory Project, a nonprofit encouraging Latino voter turnout and helping Latinos win election at all levels of government. The study suggested that about 5,000 of the 500,000 elected officials in the U.S. are Latino and identified geographical hotspots where targeted campaigns and resources may help Hispanic candidates win elections.
Latino Victory Project map highlighted that “10 congressional districts, 17 state senate districts and 53 lower state house districts have majority-Latino populations but are not represented by a Latino.” Still, only 40 of the 81 counties nationwide with a Latino majority have a majority of Latino elected officials.
Latino Victory Project, co-founded by actress Eva Longoria and Henry Muñoz, hopes that their interactive map will funnel the necessary tools to “track, target and invest” in Latino candidates and communities. As it stands, the highest ranking Latino elected officials are Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Governors Susana Martinez (R-NM) and Brian Sandoval (R-NV).
“With more than 25 million Latinos eligible to vote in the United States, this district-by-district tool proves that in key regions, Latinos are flexing their voting muscle, but we still have a long way to go,” said Cristobal Alex, president of Latino Victory Project.
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