Now that Joe Biden has pledged he’ll select a woman as his running mate, one of the questions being asked is why not a Latina for vice president?
“Latina American public servants across the country have an unparalleled track record of getting things done for their communities, states and the country. It’s about time we see that leadership in the White House,” said Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., chair of Bold PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political action committee.
After the former vice president’s pledge during the last debate, the names that quickly emerged in media and political circles were those of Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., former Georgia legislator Stacey Abrams, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. It took a few days for some Latinas to become part of the discussion.
Asked whether a Latina is being considered, the Biden campaign told NBC News in an emailed statement that Biden would run a vigorous vetting process, having been through it himself in 2008. “They have to be prepared,” he said about the vetting process, saying he’s spoken to former President Barack Obama about it.”
Angry that some of the Latinas were not included as names of potential running mates emerged, Latino Victory Fund tweeted a few suggestions: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the only Latina governor in the country; Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., the first Latina elected to the Senate and chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is responsible for gaining the party seats in the Senate; Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, one of two of the first Latinas elected to Congress from Texas in 2018; and Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the House.
“The reason we posted that tweet is with Latinos being the largest nonwhite ethnic bloc in 2020 and the fact that Sen. (Bernie) Sanders has been more robust in engaging young Latinos, it is essential we have a Latina in the conversation as a potential vice presidential pick,” said Mayra Macías, executive director of Latino Victory Fund, which endorsed Biden and promotes Latino candidates for elected office.
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