2022 Report
Latinas in U.S. Politics 2022
A Report from Latinas Represent and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP)
Written by Kelly Dittmar, Center for American Women and Politics
Latinas are serving in record numbers across levels of elective office, but we are still vastly underrepresented when compared to our numbers in the population.
Overview
Latinas in the Federal Executive
Latinas as Congressional Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as State Legislative Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as Mayoral Candidates and Officeholders
Looking Ahead
Overview
Latinas in U.S. Politics 2022
Data from the 2020 U.S. Census shows that those identifying as Hispanic or Latino accounted for more than half of the country’s population growth in the previous decade, with the greatest increases in Texas, California, and Florida. Latinas are key to that rise. But has representation in elective office kept pace with that population growth? This report helps to answer that question. It provides a review of the current status of Latinas[1] in elective office in the U.S. within a historical context and with attention to what is possible in the 2022 election.[2] As the numbers below illustrate:- A record number of Latinas serve in Congress and statewide elective executive offices, but Latina political underrepresentation persists at all levels of office.
- Despite being about 9.3% of the population, Latinas are less than 3% of officeholders elected to statewide executive offices, Congress, and state legislatures. Three Latinas currently serve as mayors of the top 100 most populous cities in the United States.
- Latina representation at the congressional and statewide elective executive levels is concentrated in a small number of states, with Latina officeholders across these offices coming from just ten states.
- A record number of Latinas ran for and won congressional offices in 2020, but just one Latina has ever served in the U.S. Senate.
- Between 2020 and 2021, Latina state legislative representation increased and ultimately reached a record high, but – as with other levels of office – Latina representation remains concentrated in a small number of states.
[1] Latinas Represent and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) are committed to being inclusive and seek to use language that fully reflects the diverse community of women candidates and officeholders. When terms such as “Latina,” “Hispanic,” “Latino/a,” are used throughout this report, we intend them to represent all persons of Latino/a/@/e/x or Hispanic heritage, and those who identify as Hispanic or Latino/a/@/e/x, while also acknowledging the shortcomings of these terms. For those not familiar with the community’s usage of these terms, we provide a brief explanation in the appendix of this report. We use “Latina” to denote women that CAWP has coded through self-identification. Because CAWP currently uses the category “Hispanic/Latina,” numbers reported here reflect women who identify with one or both of those groups. For more on CAWP’s methodology for collecting race/ethnicity, see https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/women-officeholders-race-and-ethnicity/methodological-statement-race-and-ethnicity [2] Candidates and officeholders from U.S. territories and Washington, D.C. are not included in counts presented in this report unless otherwise indicated.
Latinas in the Federal Executive
Latinas in the Federal Executive
One woman serves in President Joe Biden’s 25-member cabinet. Isabel Guzman serves as the administrator of the Small Business Administration. Prior to her appointment, Guzman served as director of Office of the Small Business Advocate for the state of California (2019-2021). She previously served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Obama (2014-2017).
Guzman is the fourth Latina to serve as administrator to the Small Business Administration since 1997; others include Aida Álvarez (1997-2001), Maria Contreras Sweet (2014-2017), and Jovita Carranza (2020-2021). In addition to these four Latinas, Hilda Solis served as secretary of labor from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. No Latinas have been major-party candidates for president or vice president, leaving the nation’s top offices a site without Latina representation. However, Latinas have run as third-party candidates, including Rosa Clemente who was the first Afro/Black-Latina to run for vice president on the Green Party ticket in 2008.Latinas as Congressional Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as Congressional Candidates and Officeholders
Current Representation | Historic Representation | Election 2020 | Election 2022
Latinas ran for and were elected to Congress in record numbers in 2020. But Latina underrepresentation persists among congressional candidates and officeholders.Latinas in the 117th Congress
Fifteen (11D, 4R) Latinas currently serve in Congress, including 14 (10D, 4R) Latinas who serve in the U.S. House and 1 (1D) Latina who serves in the U.S. Senate.[1] In addition, one Latina – Jenniffer González-Colón (R) – serves as resident commissioner from Puerto Rico, a non-voting position. She is the first woman to hold this position. This is a record high for Latina representation in Congress, including a high for Latinas in the U.S. House and Senate. Latinas currently serve in Congress from seven states (CA, FL, NM, NY, NV, TX, WA); they represent six states (CA, FL, NM, NY, TX, WA) in the U.S. House and one state (NV) in the U.S. Senate. While Latinas are about 9.3% of the total U.S. population, they are 2.8% of all members of Congress, 3.2% of all members of the House, and 1% of all members of the Senate. Latinas are 4.1% of all Democrats in Congress, including 4.5% of Democrats in the House and 2.1% of Democrats in the Senate. They are 1.5% of all Republicans in Congress, including 1.9% of Republicans in the House and 0% of Republicans in the Senate. And finally, while Latinas are about 18.5% of women in the U.S. population, they are 10.2% of all women in Congress, including 11.4% of all women in the House and 4.2% of all women in the Senate. [2]Latinas in Congressional History
Since Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) became the first Latina elected to Congress in 1989, 22 (17D, 5R) Latinas have served as voting members of Congress, including 21 (16D, 5R) Latinas who have served in the House and 1 (1D) Latina who has served in the Senate. They are 5.6% of all of the women who have served in Congress to date. More than two-thirds of all of the Latinas who have ever served in Congress are members of the 117th Congress.
Latinas have served in Congress from seven states (CA, FL, NM, NY, NV, TX, WA), with 38.1% of all Latinas who have ever served as voting members of Congress representing California. Forty-three states have never sent a Latina to Congress. In addition, one Latina has served in a non-voting position in Congress: Jenniffer González-Colón (R, resident commissioner from Puerto Rico).
[1] Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) identifies as multi-racial, both Hispanic/Latina and white.
[2] Population data based on the U.S. Census’ Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 (NC-EST2021-SR11H), using July 2021 estimates for Hispanic or Latino. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html
[3] Unless otherwise noted, candidates for non-voting offices in Congress are not included in counts.
Latinas as Congressional Candidates in Election 2020
U.S. House
Seventy-two (39D, 33R) Latinas ran for the U.S. House in 2020, representing 12.3% of all women House candidates and 3.6% of all House candidates (women and men) in 2020. [3] This marks the highest number of Latina U.S. House candidates since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present); the next highest number of Latina candidates was 50 (32D, 18R) in 2018. Latinas were 11% of Democratic women candidates and 4.1% of all Democratic candidates for the U.S. House in 2020. They were 14.5% of Republican women candidates and 3.1% of all Republicans who ran for the U.S. House in 2020. Thirty-two (19D, 13R) Latinas won nominations for the U.S. House in 2020, representing 10.7% of all women nominees and 3.8% of all nominees (women and men) who made it to the general election for House seats in 2020. This also marks the highest number of Latina U.S. House nominees since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present); the next highest number of Latina women nominees was 20 (16D, 4R) in 2018. Latinas were 9.3% of Democratic women nominees and 4.4% of all Democratic nominees for the U.S. House in 2020. They were 13.8% of Republican women House nominees and 3.1% of all Republican House nominees in 2020. Win rates among Latinas are largely on par with the full population of women candidates. A record high 13 (10D, 3R) Latinas won full terms for U.S. House seats in the 2020 election, including 3 (1D, 2R) non-incumbents. Two years prior, 5 (5D) non-incumbent Latinas won election to the U.S. House, including the first 2 (2D) Latinas – Sylvia Garcia (D) and Veronica Escobar (D) – to represent Texas in Congress. Also in 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) became the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. House at age 29. Of the 8 (6D, 2D) non-incumbent Latina winners in 2018 and 2020, all but one – Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) – won in majority-minority districts. In addition to these Latina newcomers, Mayra Flores (R) won a special election in June 2022 to represent Texas in the U.S. House. She became the first Republican Latina to represent Texas in Congress.U.S. Senate
Just 3 (2D, 1R) Latinas ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020, none of whom advanced beyond primary elections.Two years prior, just 1 (1D) Latina ran for the U.S. Senate and did not win her party’s nomination. The last Latinas to win U.S. Senate nominations were Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), both in 2016; Sanchez was defeated in the general election by Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cortez Masto went on to become the first and only Latina elected to the U.S. Senate. She is up for re-election in 2022.
Latinas as Congressional Candidates in Election 2022
Three (1D, 2R) Latinas filed as major-party candidates for the U.S. Senate in election 2022, matching the high for Latina senate candidates first set in the 2020 election. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), the first and only Latina in the U.S. Senate, is up for re-election this year. Leora Levy (R-CT) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Laura Moreno (R-OK) was unsuccessful in her primary bid for the Republican nomination in Oklahoma’s open-seat U.S. Senate election. In 2022, 85 (43D, 42R) Latinas filed as major-party candidates for the U.S. House. This marks a record high, up from the previous record of 72, set in election 2020. Upon conclusion of the regular primary election season in September 2022, 36 (20D, 16R) Latinas have won major-party nominations for the U.S. House, including 24 (11D, 13R) non-incumbent Latinas. This is up from the previous record of 32 Latina U.S. House nominees, set in election 2020. Among those Latinas who have advanced to the general election, candidates have the potential to be the first Latinas to represent their states in Congress from Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Candidates and Officeholders
Current and Historic Representation | Elections 2018 and 2020 | Election 2022
Statewide elective executive offices, of which there are 310 nationwide, remain another site of Latina underrepresentation, with Latinas holding less than 3% of all these posts across the United States.Latinas in Statewide Elective Executive Office in 2022
Nine (7D, 2R) Latinas currently serve in statewide elective executive office, including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who is the only Latina currently serving as a U.S. governor. [1] Together, these women represent 9.4% (9 of 96) of all women statewide elective executive officials and 2.9% (9 of 310) of all statewide elective executive officials in the United States. Just 28 (22D, 5R, 1NP) Latinas have ever held statewide elective executive offices in eight states. Most notably, over 50% of the Latinas statewide elective executive officials in U.S. history have served in New Mexico. [2] That includes the only 2 (1D, 1R) Latinas who have ever served as governor in the U.S. Susana Martinez (R-NM) became the first Latina elected governor in 2010. Eight years later, Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) succeeded Martinez to become the first Democratic Latina elected governor in the U.S. Notably, New Mexico is the U.S. state with the largest Hispanic or Latino population according to the U.S. Census; as of 2020, 47.7% of New Mexico’s population identified as Hispanic or Latino.Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Office Candidates in Elections 2018 and 2020
Four (2D, 1R, 1NP) Latinas were candidates for statewide elective executive offices in 2020, a year where the minority of statewide executive offices were up for election. They represented 5% of all women statewide elective executive candidates and 1.3% of all statewide elective executive candidates (women and men) in 2020. In 2018, a statewide executive election year, 15 (10D, 4R, 1NP) Latinas ran for statewide executive offices, which marks the highest number of Latina candidates since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present). That year, Latinas represented 6% of all women statewide elective executive candidates and 1.7% of all statewide elective executive candidates (women and men). They were 6.8% of Democratic women candidates and 2.4% of all Democratic candidates for statewide elective executive contests in 2018. Latinas were 4% of Republican women candidates and 0.9% of all Republicans who ran for statewide executive offices in 2018. Three (1D, 1R, 1NP) Latinas won nominations for statewide elective executive offices in 2020, representing 6.4% of all women nominees and 2.1% of all nominees (women and men) who made it to the general election for statewide executive offices in 2020. In 2018, 10 (7D, 3R) Latinas were statewide executive nominees, marking the highest number of Latina statewide executive nominees since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present). Latinas were 7.6% of all women nominees and 2.5% of all nominees (women and men) who made it to the general election for statewide executive offices in 2018. They were 8.4% of Democratic women nominees and 3.6% of all Democratic nominees for the statewide executive offices. They were 6.4% of Republican women nominees and 1.5% of all Republicans on general election ballots for statewide executive office in 2018. Across the past two elections, 5 (4D, 1R) non-incumbent Latinas won statewide executive offices, including the first Democratic Latina governor in the U.S., Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who was elected in 2018. Also in 2018, Jeanette Nuñez (R-FL) became the first Latina elected to statewide executive office in Florida. In addition to these Latina newcomers, 2 (2D) more Latinas were appointed to statewide executive office in the past four years. Sabina Matos (D-RI), who identifies as Afro-Latina, was appointed as lieutenant governor of Rhode Island in 2021. She became the second Latina elected statewide in Rhode Island after the election of Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D) in 2014. In Nevada in 2021, Lisa Cano Burkhead (D) was selected to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Lieutenant Governor Kate Marshall (D), who also identifies as Latina. She became the second consecutive Latina to serve as lieutenant governor of Nevada.Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Office Candidates in Election 2022
In 2022, 24 (18D, 6R) Latinas filed as major-party candidates for statewide elective executive offices, marking a new record high. The previous high for Latina statewide elective executive office candidates was 15, set in the 2018 election. Ten (8D, 2R) of those Latinas won their primary contests, including 6 (5D, 1R) incumbents. The previous high for Latina statewide elective executive office nominees was 10, set in the 2018 election. Among these statewide elective executive candidates is a record number of Latina major-party candidates for governor in 2022. Six (4D, 2R) Latinas filed as gubernatorial candidates this year, up from the previous record of four, set in 2014. This includes incumbent Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who has advanced to the general election seeking to retain her seat. Lujan Grisham is the first Democratic Latina to ever be elected governor in the U.S. and the only Latina currently serving as governor. Five (3D, 2R) Latina gubernatorial candidates were defeated in primary elections. This includes State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz (D-MA), who ended her campaign for Massachusetts governor in late June 2022 but announced that she would remain on the ballot and shift her focus to supporting down-ballot candidates who share her values. Chang-Díaz, who identifies as both Latina and Asian American, explained, “I am keeping my name on the ballot because I think the voters of Massachusetts deserve to have options when deciding who to vote for and because it’s a historic step forward to have gotten the first woman of color on the ballot for governor of Massachusetts.” Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D-RI), who was term-limited in her current position, was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat incumbent Governor Dan McKee (D-RI) in the Democratic primary for governor of Rhode Island.[1] Officeholders from U.S. territories and Washington D.C. are not included in these counts. More information about those officeholders is available at cawpdata.rutgers.edu. [2] The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) began collecting racial/ethnic self-identification of officeholders within the past 30 years. CAWP identification for officeholders prior to this time period is made based on public records and materials. Some officeholders who may not have publicly identified (or been identified) as Latina could be missing from early counts.
Latinas as State Legislative Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as State Legislative Candidates and Officeholders
Current and Historic Representation | Elections 2018 and 2020 | Election 2022
Latinas reached a record high in state legislative representation in 2021. Still, there remain significant opportunities for growth in Latina state legislative representation. Latinas’ representation at this level of office has implications for state-level policymaking and for building a larger pool of potential candidates for higher offices.Latinas in State Legislatures in 2022
As of October 2022, 153 (139D, 14R) Latinas serve as state legislators nationwide, including 107 (98D, 9R) Latina members of state houses and 46 (41D, 5R) Latina members of state senates. [1] Latinas are 2.1% of all state legislators and 6.7% of all women state legislators nationwide. They are 2% of members of state houses and 6.2% of women in state houses, and they are 2.3% of state senators and 8.2% of women state senators. Latinas are 4.3% of all Democratic state legislators and 0.4% of all Republican state legislators in the U.S. [2] Within the past two decades, Latinas have increased their representation as a percentage of all state legislators from less than one percent in 2003 to 2.1% in 2022. In the same period, Latinas have become a larger proportion of all women state legislators; they were 3.8% of women state legislators in 2003 and are 6.6% of all women state legislators in 2022. In California, Latinas are the majority of women legislators though they are 16.7% of all state legislators. The next highest states for Latinas as a percentage of all women state legislators are Texas (36%), New Mexico (35.4%), Arizona (20.5%), New Jersey (19%), and Nevada (18.9%). The top three states for Latina representation as a percentage of all state legislators are California (16.7%), New Mexico (15.2%), and Nevada (11.1%). Eight (8D) Latinas hold state legislative leadership posts (including speaker pro tem, president pro tem, majority leader, and minority leader) as of October 2022.Latinas as State Legislative Candidates in Elections 2018 and 2020
The net gain for Latina state legislative representation between Election Day 2020 and January 2021 was small, with Latinas moving from 1.8% to 2% of all state legislators. This gain was similar to that which resulted from the 2018 election; between Election Day 2018 and January 2019, the percentage of state legislative officeholders who were Latina increased from 1.6% to 1.8%. While Latinas gained representation at the state legislative level over the past two election cycles, 20 states currently have no Latina state legislators, and another 19 states have fewer than five Latinas in their state legislatures.Latinas as State Legislative Candidates in Election 2022
In 2022, elections will be held for seats in 88 state legislative chambers across 46 states. While it is too early to predict the representation of Latinas among state legislative nominees or winners, the distinct dynamics of the cycle are worth noting. The 2022 elections will be conducted using new electoral maps in most states, shaping opportunities and competitiveness in state legislative elections. And the stakes of state legislative elections are especially high, with key policy debates occurring at the state level.[1] Officeholders from territorial legislatures and Washington D.C. are not included in these counts. More information about those officeholders is available at cawpdata.rutgers.edu. [2] Partisan breakdown of all state legislators from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Available: https://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/partisan-composition.aspx (accessed October 2022 for June 2022 counts).
Latinas as Mayoral Candidates and Officeholders
Latinas as Mayoral Candidates and Officeholders
Latina Women Mayors
Three Latinas currently serve as mayors of the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S: Paulette M. Guajardo (Corpus Christi, TX), Regina Romero (Tucson, AZ), and Mary Casillas Salas (Chula Vista, CA). Since 2001, five Latinas have served as big-city mayors.Latinas as Mayoral Candidates in 2022
Corpus Christi, TX Mayor Paulette Guajardo is running for re-election in November 2022, while Chula Vista, CA Mayor Mary Casillas Salas did not run for re-election in 2022 due to term limits. Tucson, AZ Mayor Regina Romero is not up for re-election until 2023. Latinas may also increase their numbers among big-city mayors as a result of 2022 elections. In a June 2022 primary, Michelle Romero won the mayoral election in Henderson, Nevada outright. She will be sworn in as mayor on January 3, 2023.Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
Latinas have made notable gains in both U.S. population and political representation over the past decade. Still, Latinas remain significantly underrepresented at all levels of office. The 2022 election provides an immediate opportunity for increasing Latina representation across levels of office, but the work of Latina political empowerment must continue beyond a single election cycle. Our organizations and others like ours will continue to grow Latina political power and we invite others to join us in:
- Organizing Latina communities by elevating Latina leadership, taking Latina concerns seriously, and building upon the strengths of Latina networks. Latinas Represent invites everyone who cares about getting more, and more diverse, to get involved in our mission through events like our 2022 Summit.
- Identifying and building upon strengths that enhance Latinas’ ability to succeed in political institutions such as our role as connectors within our communities and our understanding of the lived realities of those communities.
- Identifying and addressing barriers that impede Latinas’ entry or success in political institutions, such as a lack of role models or lack of access to traditional pathways to power.
- Investing in Latina recruitment and retention in states with a history of Latina representation, building upon their successes while also working to expand the sites for Latina representation beyond the handful of states where existing representation is concentrated, recognizing that Latina population growth and dispersion is occurring
- Increasing targeted recruitment of Latina candidates across levels of office, with attentiveness to diversity among Latina populations including race, immigration status, age, sexual orientation, ability, and educational level. To advance this goal, Latinas Represent invites Latinas interested in running for office (or supporting someone who is) to apply for our Master Class. This weekend-long intensive (December 9-11) will give you the tools needed to run for office, develop your political capacity, and launch well-run campaigns focused on issues that impact Latinx communities.
To learn more and to join in these efforts, visit Latinas Represent and the Center for American Women and Politics, follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletters.
Latinas in U.S. Politics 2022
Data from the 2020 U.S. Census shows that those identifying as Hispanic or Latino accounted for more than half of the country’s population growth in the previous decade, with the greatest increases in Texas, California, and Florida. Latinas are key to that rise. But has representation in elective office kept pace with that population growth? This report helps to answer that question. It provides a review of the current status of Latinas[1] in elective office in the U.S. within a historical context and with attention to what is possible in the 2022 election.[2] As the numbers below illustrate:- A record number of Latinas serve in Congress and statewide elective executive offices, but Latina political underrepresentation persists at all levels of office.
- Despite being about 9.3% of the population, Latinas are less than 3% of officeholders elected to statewide executive offices, Congress, and state legislatures. Three Latinas currently serve as mayors of the top 100 most populous cities in the United States.
- Latina representation at the congressional and statewide elective executive levels is concentrated in a small number of states, with Latina officeholders across these offices coming from just ten states.
- A record number of Latinas ran for and won congressional offices in 2020, but just one Latina has ever served in the U.S. Senate.
- Between 2020 and 2021, Latina state legislative representation increased and ultimately reached a record high, but – as with other levels of office – Latina representation remains concentrated in a small number of states.
[1] Latinas Represent and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) are committed to being inclusive and seek to use language that fully reflects the diverse community of women candidates and officeholders. When terms such as “Latina,” “Hispanic,” “Latino/a,” are used throughout this report, we intend them to represent all persons of Latino/a/@/e/x or Hispanic heritage, and those who identify as Hispanic or Latino/a/@/e/x, while also acknowledging the shortcomings of these terms. For those not familiar with the community’s usage of these terms, we provide a brief explanation in the appendix of this report. We use “Latina” to denote women that CAWP has coded through self-identification. Because CAWP currently uses the category “Hispanic/Latina,” numbers reported here reflect women who identify with one or both of those groups. For more on CAWP’s methodology for collecting race/ethnicity, see https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/women-officeholders-race-and-ethnicity/methodological-statement-race-and-ethnicity. [2] Candidates and officeholders from U.S. territories and Washington, D.C. are not included in counts presented in this report unless otherwise indicated.
Latinas in the Federal Executive
One woman serves in President Joe Biden’s 25-member cabinet. Isabel Guzman serves as the administrator of the Small Business Administration. Prior to her appointment, Guzman served as director of Office of the Small Business Advocate for the state of California (2019-2021). She previously served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Obama (2014-2017).
Guzman is the fourth Latina to serve as administrator to the Small Business Administration since 1997; others include Aida Álvarez (1997-2001), Maria Contreras Sweet (2014-2017), and Jovita Carranza (2020-2021). In addition to these four Latinas, Hilda Solis served as secretary of labor from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. No Latinas have been major-party candidates for president or vice president, leaving the nation’s top offices a site without Latina representation. However, Latinas have run as third-party candidates, including Rosa Clemente who was the first Afro/Black-Latina to run for vice president on the Green Party ticket in 2008.Latinas as Congressional Candidates and Officeholders
Current Representation | Historic Representation | Election 2020 | Election 2022
Latinas ran for and were elected to Congress in record numbers in 2020. But Latina underrepresentation persists among congressional candidates and officeholders.Latinas in the 117th Congress
Fifteen (11D, 4R) Latinas currently serve in Congress, including 14 (10D, 4R) Latinas who serve in the U.S. House and 1 (1D) Latina who serves in the U.S. Senate.[1] In addition, one Latina – Jenniffer González-Colón (R) – serves as resident commissioner from Puerto Rico, a non-voting position. She is the first woman to hold this position. This is a record high for Latina representation in Congress, including a high for Latinas in the U.S. House and Senate. Latinas currently serve in Congress from seven states (CA, FL, NM, NY, NV, TX, WA); they represent six states (CA, FL, NM, NY, TX, WA) in the U.S. House and one state (NV) in the U.S. Senate. While Latinas are about 9.3% of the total U.S. population, they are 2.8% of all members of Congress, 3.2% of all members of the House, and 1% of all members of the Senate. Latinas are 4.1% of all Democrats in Congress, including 4.5% of Democrats in the House and 2.1% of Democrats in the Senate. They are 1.5% of all Republicans in Congress, including 1.9% of Republicans in the House and 0% of Republicans in the Senate. And finally, while Latinas are about 18.5% of women in the U.S. population, they are 10.2% of all women in Congress, including 11.4% of all women in the House and 4.2% of all women in the Senate. [2]Latinas in Congressional History
Since Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) became the first Latina elected to Congress in 1989, 22 (17D, 5R) Latinas have served as voting members of Congress, including 21 (16D, 5R) Latinas who have served in the House and 1 (1D) Latina who has served in the Senate. They are 5.6% of all of the women who have served in Congress to date. More than two-thirds of all of the Latinas who have ever served in Congress are members of the 117th Congress.
Latinas have served in Congress from seven states (CA, FL, NM, NY, NV, TX, WA), with 38.1% of all Latinas who have ever served as voting members of Congress representing California. Forty-three states have never sent a Latina to Congress. In addition, one Latina has served in a non-voting position in Congress: Jenniffer González-Colón (R, resident commissioner from Puerto Rico).
Latinas as Congressional Candidates in Election 2020
U.S. House
Seventy-two (39D, 33R) Latinas ran for the U.S. House in 2020, representing 12.3% of all women House candidates and 3.6% of all House candidates (women and men) in 2020. [3] This marks the highest number of Latina U.S. House candidates since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present); the next highest number of Latina candidates was 50 (32D, 18R) in 2018. Latinas were 11% of Democratic women candidates and 4.1% of all Democratic candidates for the U.S. House in 2020. They were 14.5% of Republican women candidates and 3.1% of all Republicans who ran for the U.S. House in 2020. Thirty-two (19D, 13R) Latinas won nominations for the U.S. House in 2020, representing 10.7% of all women nominees and 3.8% of all nominees (women and men) who made it to the general election for House seats in 2020. This also marks the highest number of Latina U.S. House nominees since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present); the next highest number of Latina women nominees was 20 (16D, 4R) in 2018. Latinas were 9.3% of Democratic women nominees and 4.4% of all Democratic nominees for the U.S. House in 2020. They were 13.8% of Republican women House nominees and 3.1% of all Republican House nominees in 2020. Win rates among Latinas are largely on par with the full population of women candidates. A record high 13 (10D, 3R) Latinas won full terms for U.S. House seats in the 2020 election, including 3 (1D, 2R) non-incumbents. Two years prior, 5 (5D) non-incumbent Latinas won election to the U.S. House, including the first 2 (2D) Latinas – Sylvia Garcia (D) and Veronica Escobar (D) – to represent Texas in Congress. Also in 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) became the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. House at age 29. Of the 8 (6D, 2D) non-incumbent Latina winners in 2018 and 2020, all but one – Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) – won in majority-minority districts. In addition to these Latina newcomers, Mayra Flores (R) won a special election in June 2022 to represent Texas in the U.S. House. She became the first Republican Latina to represent Texas in Congress.U.S. Senate
Just 3 (2D, 1R) Latinas ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020, none of whom advanced beyond primary elections.Two years prior, just 1 (1D) Latina ran for the U.S. Senate and did not win her party’s nomination. The last Latinas to win U.S. Senate nominations were Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), both in 2016; Sanchez was defeated in the general election by Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cortez Masto went on to become the first and only Latina elected to the U.S. Senate. She is up for re-election in 2022.
Latinas as Congressional Candidates in Election 2022
Three (1D, 2R) Latinas filed as major-party candidates for the U.S. Senate in election 2022, matching the high for Latina senate candidates first set in the 2020 election. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), the first and only Latina in the U.S. Senate, is up for re-election this year. Leora Levy (R-CT) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Laura Moreno (R-OK) was unsuccessful in her primary bid for the Republican nomination in Oklahoma’s open-seat U.S. Senate election. In 2022, 85 (43D, 42R) Latinas filed as major-party candidates for the U.S. House. This marks a record high, up from the previous record of 72, set in election 2020. Upon conclusion of the regular primary election season in September 2022, 36 (20D, 16R) Latinas have won major-party nominations for the U.S. House, including 24 (11D, 13R) non-incumbent Latinas. This is up from the previous record of 32 Latina U.S. House nominees, set in election 2020. Among those Latinas who have advanced to the general election, candidates have the potential to be the first Latinas to represent their states in Congress from Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.[1] Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) identifies as multi-racial, both Hispanic/Latina and white. [2] Population data based on the U.S. Census’ Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 (NC-EST2021-SR11H), using July 2021 estimates for Hispanic or Latino. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html [3] Unless otherwise noted, candidates for non-voting offices in Congress are not included in counts.
Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Candidates and Officeholders
Current and Historic Representation | Elections 2018 and 2020 | Election 2022
Statewide elective executive offices, of which there are 310 nationwide, remain another site of Latina underrepresentation, with Latinas holding less than 3% of all these posts across the United States.Latinas in Statewide Elective Executive Office in 2022
Nine (7D, 2R) Latinas currently serve in statewide elective executive office, including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who is the only Latina currently serving as a U.S. governor. [1] Together, these women represent 9.4% (9 of 96) of all women statewide elective executive officials and 2.9% (9 of 310) of all statewide elective executive officials in the United States. Just 28 (22D, 5R, 1NP) Latinas have ever held statewide elective executive offices in eight states. Most notably, over 50% of the Latinas statewide elective executive officials in U.S. history have served in New Mexico. [2] That includes the only 2 (1D, 1R) Latinas who have ever served as governor in the U.S. Susana Martinez (R-NM) became the first Latina elected governor in 2010. Eight years later, Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) succeeded Martinez to become the first Democratic Latina elected governor in the U.S. Notably, New Mexico is the U.S. state with the largest Hispanic or Latino population according to the U.S. Census; as of 2020, 47.7% of New Mexico’s population identified as Hispanic or Latino.Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Office Candidates in Elections 2018 and 2020
Four (2D, 1R, 1NP) Latinas were candidates for statewide elective executive offices in 2020, a year where the minority of statewide executive offices were up for election. They represented 5% of all women statewide elective executive candidates and 1.3% of all statewide elective executive candidates (women and men) in 2020. In 2018, a statewide executive election year, 15 (10D, 4R, 1NP) Latinas ran for statewide executive offices, which marks the highest number of Latina candidates since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present). That year, Latinas represented 6% of all women statewide elective executive candidates and 1.7% of all statewide elective executive candidates (women and men). They were 6.8% of Democratic women candidates and 2.4% of all Democratic candidates for statewide elective executive contests in 2018. Latinas were 4% of Republican women candidates and 0.9% of all Republicans who ran for statewide executive offices in 2018. Three (1D, 1R, 1NP) Latinas won nominations for statewide elective executive offices in 2020, representing 6.4% of all women nominees and 2.1% of all nominees (women and men) who made it to the general election for statewide executive offices in 2020. In 2018, 10 (7D, 3R) Latinas were statewide executive nominees, marking the highest number of Latina statewide executive nominees since CAWP has kept this data (from 2004 to present). Latinas were 7.6% of all women nominees and 2.5% of all nominees (women and men) who made it to the general election for statewide executive offices in 2018. They were 8.4% of Democratic women nominees and 3.6% of all Democratic nominees for the statewide executive offices. They were 6.4% of Republican women nominees and 1.5% of all Republicans on general election ballots for statewide executive office in 2018. Across the past two elections, 5 (4D, 1R) non-incumbent Latinas won statewide executive offices, including the first Democratic Latina governor in the U.S., Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who was elected in 2018. Also in 2018, Jeanette Nuñez (R-FL) became the first Latina elected to statewide executive office in Florida. In addition to these Latina newcomers, 2 (2D) more Latinas were appointed to statewide executive office in the past four years. Sabina Matos (D-RI), who identifies as Afro-Latina, was appointed as lieutenant governor of Rhode Island in 2021. She became the second Latina elected statewide in Rhode Island after the election of Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D) in 2014. In Nevada in 2021, Lisa Cano Burkhead (D) was selected to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Lieutenant Governor Kate Marshall (D), who also identifies as Latina. She became the second consecutive Latina to serve as lieutenant governor of Nevada.Latinas as Statewide Elective Executive Office Candidates in Election 2022
In 2022, 24 (18D, 6R) Latinas filed as major-party candidates for statewide elective executive offices, marking a new record high. The previous high for Latina statewide elective executive office candidates was 15, set in the 2018 election. Ten (8D, 2R) of those Latinas won their primary contests, including 6 (5D, 1R) incumbents. The previous high for Latina statewide elective executive office nominees was 10, set in the 2018 election. Among these statewide elective executive candidates is a record number of Latina major-party candidates for governor in 2022. Six (4D, 2R) Latinas filed as gubernatorial candidates this year, up from the previous record of four, set in 2014. This includes incumbent Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who has advanced to the general election seeking to retain her seat. Lujan Grisham is the first Democratic Latina to ever be elected governor in the U.S. and the only Latina currently serving as governor. Five (3D, 2R) Latina gubernatorial candidates were defeated in primary elections. This includes State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz (D-MA), who ended her campaign for Massachusetts governor in late June 2022 but announced that she would remain on the ballot and shift her focus to supporting down-ballot candidates who share her values. Chang-Díaz, who identifies as both Latina and Asian American, explained, “I am keeping my name on the ballot because I think the voters of Massachusetts deserve to have options when deciding who to vote for and because it’s a historic step forward to have gotten the first woman of color on the ballot for governor of Massachusetts.” Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D-RI), who was term-limited in her current position, was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat incumbent Governor Dan McKee (D-RI) in the Democratic primary for governor of Rhode Island.[1] Officeholders from U.S. territories and Washington D.C. are not included in these counts. More information about those officeholders is available at cawpdata.rutgers.edu. [2] The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) began collecting racial/ethnic self-identification of officeholders within the past 30 years. CAWP identification for officeholders prior to this time period is made based on public records and materials. Some officeholders who may not have publicly identified (or been identified) as Latina could be missing from early counts.
Latinas as State Legislative Candidates and Officeholders
Current and Historic Representation | Elections 2018 and 2020 | Election 2022
Latinas reached a record high in state legislative representation in 2021. Still, there remain significant opportunities for growth in Latina state legislative representation. Latinas’ representation at this level of office has implications for state-level policymaking and for building a larger pool of potential candidates for higher offices.Latinas in State Legislatures in 2022
As of October 2022, 153 (139D, 14R) Latinas serve as state legislators nationwide, including 107 (98D, 9R) Latina members of state houses and 46 (41D, 5R) Latina members of state senates.[1] Latinas are 2.1% of all state legislators and 6.7% of all women state legislators nationwide. They are 2% of members of state houses and 6.2% of women in state houses, and they are 2.3% of state senators and 8.2% of women state senators. Latinas are 4.3% of all Democratic state legislators and 0.4% of all Republican state legislators in the U.S. [2] Within the past two decades, Latinas have increased their representation as a percentage of all state legislators from less than one percent in 2003 to 2.1% in 2022. In the same period, Latinas have become a larger proportion of all women state legislators; they were 3.8% of women state legislators in 2003 and are 6.6% of all women state legislators in 2022. In California, Latinas are the majority of women legislators though they are 16.7% of all state legislators. The next highest states for Latinas as a percentage of all women state legislators are Texas (36%), New Mexico (35.4%), Arizona (20.5%), New Jersey (19%), and Nevada (18.9%). The top three states for Latina representation as a percentage of all state legislators are California (16.7%), New Mexico (15.2%), and Nevada (11.1%). Eight (8D) Latinas hold state legislative leadership posts (including speaker pro tem, president pro tem, majority leader, and minority leader) as of October 2022.Latinas as State Legislative Candidates in Elections 2018 and 2020
The net gain for Latina state legislative representation between Election Day 2020 and January 2021 was small, with Latinas moving from 1.8% to 2% of all state legislators. This gain was similar to that which resulted from the 2018 election; between Election Day 2018 and January 2019, the percentage of state legislative officeholders who were Latina increased from 1.6% to 1.8%. While Latinas gained representation at the state legislative level over the past two election cycles, 20 states currently have no Latina state legislators, and another 19 states have fewer than five Latinas in their state legislatures.Latinas as State Legislative Candidates in Election 2022
In 2022, elections will be held for seats in 88 state legislative chambers across 46 states. While it is too early to predict the representation of Latinas among state legislative nominees or winners, the distinct dynamics of the cycle are worth noting. The 2022 elections will be conducted using new electoral maps in most states, shaping opportunities and competitiveness in state legislative elections. And the stakes of state legislative elections are especially high, with key policy debates occurring at the state level.[1] Officeholders from territorial legislatures and Washington D.C. are not included in these counts. More information about those officeholders is available at cawpdata.rutgers.edu. [2] Partisan breakdown of all state legislators from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Available: https://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/partisan-composition.aspx (accessed October 2022 for June 2022 counts).
Latinas as Mayoral Candidates and Officeholders
Latina Women Mayors
Three Latinas currently serve as mayors of the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S: Paulette M. Guajardo (Corpus Christi, TX), Regina Romero (Tucson, AZ), and Mary Casillas Salas (Chula Vista, CA). Since 2001, five Latinas have served as big-city mayors.Latinas as Mayoral Candidates in 2022
Corpus Christi, TX Mayor Paulette Guajardo is running for re-election in November 2022, while Chula Vista, CA Mayor Mary Casillas Salas did not run for re-election in 2022 due to term limits. Tucson, AZ Mayor Regina Romero is not up for re-election until 2023. Latinas may also increase their numbers among big-city mayors as a result of 2022 elections. In a June 2022 primary, Michelle Romero won the mayoral election in Henderson, Nevada outright. She will be sworn in as mayor on January 3, 2023.Looking Ahead
Latinas have made notable gains in both U.S. population and political representation over the past decade. Still, Latinas remain significantly underrepresented at all levels of office. The 2022 election provides an immediate opportunity for increasing Latina representation across levels of office, but the work of Latina political empowerment must continue beyond a single election cycle. Our organizations and others like ours will continue to grow Latina political power and we invite others to join us in:
- Organizing Latina communities by elevating Latina leadership, taking Latina concerns seriously, and building upon the strengths of Latina networks. Latinas Represent invites everyone who cares about getting more, and more diverse, to get involved in our mission through events like our 2022 Summit.
- Identifying and building upon strengths that enhance Latinas’ ability to succeed in political institutions such as our role as connectors within our communities and our understanding of the lived realities of those communities.
- Identifying and addressing barriers that impede Latinas’ entry or success in political institutions, such as a lack of role models or lack of access to traditional pathways to power.
- Investing in Latina recruitment and retention in states with a history of Latina representation, building upon their successes while also working to expand the sites for Latina representation beyond the handful of states where existing representation is concentrated, recognizing that Latina population growth and dispersion is occurring
- Increasing targeted recruitment of Latina candidates across levels of office, with attentiveness to diversity among Latina populations including race, immigration status, age, sexual orientation, ability, and educational level. To advance this goal, Latinas Represent invites Latinas interested in running for office (or supporting someone who is) to apply for our Master Class. This weekend-long intensive (December 9-11) will give you the tools needed to run for office, develop your political capacity, and launch well-run campaigns focused on issues that impact Latinx communities.
To learn more and to join in these efforts, visit Latinas Represent and the Center for American Women and Politics, follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletters.