The Invasion Continues: Latinos in Office up by 37% in Decade
Posted by admin on: 2006-06-25 00:07:52

Latinos have increased their presence at all levels of government over the last decade, with nearly half of them serving in Texas, a Hispanic political group reported.

At the start of this year, 5,132 Hispanics were in elected office around the country — a 37 percent increase from 1996, when 3,743 Latinos were in elected posts.

The results were part of a study announced today in Dallas to kick off the annual convention of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

"It's in everyone's interest, it's in every party's interest to cultivate the number of Hispanic elected officials," said Adam J. Segal Director, of the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University.

Latino elected officials now hold office in 43 states. Out of the more than 5,000 Latino elected officials nationwide, 42 percent hold office in Texas.

Most other Latino officials were elected in areas with large Hispanic populations, such as California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Illinois, the study said.

In 1996, there were no Latino senators and some states had no Hispanics in office.

By 2006, there were three Hispanics in the U.S. Senate, representing Colorado, Florida and New Jersey.

Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia now have one Hispanic elected official each. Georgia has seven and New Hampshire has three after having none ten years ago, the NALEO Educational Fund study found.

In California, Antonio Villaraigosa became Los Angeles' first Latino mayor since 1872. His election last year saw a record 25 percent Hispanic voter turnout, though blacks and left-leaning whites also spurred his victory.

Media Link

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/3990858.html

News Source: NAN

http://natallnews.com/story.php?id=2247