Hispanics are poised to sweep up the most-ever seats in Congress in the midterm elections, with the biggest gains likely coming from Republicans.
Between both parties, a record-high 90 Hispanic candidates are on the ballot for House and Senate seats in the midterm election. For the House, 53 candidates are Democrats and 33 are Republicans. And both parties have a pair of Hispanic Senate candidates on the ballot.
TRUMP’S STOLEN ELECTION LIE COULD COST REPUBLICANS IF VOTERS STAY HOME
Some of those candidates could make national headlines as the first Hispanic lawmaker elected to Congress in state history.
Colorado state Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) is running for the state’s new 8th Congressional District. Not only would she be the first person elected to the post, but she would also become the first Latina elected to Congress in Colorado.
Two Oregonians are in a similar fight to become the state’s first Latina congresswoman. Democratic state Rep. Andrea Salinas and former Happy Valley Mayor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican, are each vying for seats outside Portland.
Republican Yesli Vega wants to be the first Latina in Virginia’s congressional delegation. She is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants and a former law enforcement officer who got her start in politics after leaving the police force for an elected position in northern Virginia.
Monica De La Cruz is running a second time for a South Texas border district that has been held by Democrats for more than a century. De La Cruz is part of the “Triple Threat,” her term for the three Republican Latinas looking to win three adjacent districts in the Rio Grande Valley.
House Republicans are optimistic they will retake the majority — and do so with its most diverse slate of candidates yet.
“This year is going to be the year of the Latina Republican,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) told the Washington Examiner.
“We will have multiple Hispanic women candidates that flip districts. There’s likely three that flip districts in South Texas, but you will also have Latina candidates in Florida and Oregon who are running great races that are going to flip those districts as well. And much like 2020 was the year of the Republican woman, this is going to be the year of the Latina Republican.”
History of Hispanics in Congress
The number of Hispanic lawmakers has risen steadily over the past two decades. A Pew Research Center analysis revealed that at the start of the 107th Congress in 2001, just 19 members were Hispanic.
Over a decade, that number grew to 29. In the 117th Congress, the gains continued with 51 Hispanic members in office, including six senators.
Heading into the midterm elections, the Democratic Party has more Hispanic members in the House and Senate than the Republican Party. Of the 220 Democrats in the House, 36 are Hispanic. Hispanic Democrats serve in four of the 48 seats in the Senate.
Thirteen of the Republican Party’s 212 House members are Hispanic, as are two of its 50 senators.
This election will be a record-breaker
Of the 53 Democrats running for the House this year, 28 of the Democrats are newcomers compared to 25 incumbents seeking reelection.
Republicans had 102 Hispanic candidates as the party headed into the primary races earlier this year. That number was cut to 33, which remains an astronomical figure compared to years past and an all-time record for House GOP Hispanic nominees.
Republicans are putting significant resources, including money, into toss-up and lean-Democrat races in hopes of winning back the majority.
33 House Republican candidates (* denotes newcomer)
Irene Armendariz Jackson, Texas 16th *
Marcos Arroyo, New Jersey 8th *
Jonathan Chavez, Georgia 4th *
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon 5th *
Juan Ciscomani, Arizona 6th *
Monica De La Cruz, Texas 15th *
Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida 26th
Maria Elvira-Salazar, Florida 27th
Mayra Flores, Texas 34th
Cassy Garcia, Texas 28th *
Mike Garcia, California 27th
Michelle Garcia Holmes, New Mexico 1st *
Carlos Gimenez, Florida 28th
Mark Gonsalves, Georgia 7th *
Caesar Gonzales, Georgia 13th *
Tony Gonzales, Texas 23rd
Chris Gonzales, California 46th *
Peter Hernandez, California 18th *
Catalina Lauf, Illinois 11th *
George Logan, Connecticut 5th *
Nicole Malliotakis, New York 11th
Alexis Martinez Johnson, New Mexico 15th *
Dan Martinez, California 31st *
Carmen Montiel, Texas 18th *
Yuripzy Morgan, Maryland 3rd *
Jesus Navarro, Florida 24th *
Omar Navarro, California, 43rd *
Juan Pagan, New York 7th *
Anna Paulina Luna, Florida 13th *
Luis Pozzolo, Arizona 7th *
Jenny Garcia Sharon, Texas 37th *
Anthony Swad, Texas 32nd *
Yesli Vega, Virginia 7th *
53 House Democrat candidates (* denotes newcomer)
Pete Aguilar, California 33rd
Joseph Alfonso, Michigan 4th *
Robert Asencio, Florida 28th *
Nanette Barragan, California 44th
David Canepa, California 15th *
Yadira Caraveo, Colorado 8th *
Salud Carbajal, California 24th
Greg Casar, Texas 35th *
Joaquin Castro, Texas 20th
Lou Correa, California 46th
Henry Cuellar, Texas 28th
Tony Cardenas, California 29th
Shamaine Daniels, Pennsylvania 10th *
Antonio Daza, Georgia 11th *
Angelica Duenas, California 29th *
Veronica Escobar, Texas 16th
Adriano Espaillat, New York 13th
Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Florida 10th *
Ruben Gallego, Arizona 3rd
Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Illinois 4th
Robert Garcia, California 42nd *
Sylvia Garcia, Texas 29th
Jimmy Gomez, California 34th
Vicente Gonzalez, Texas 34th
Raul Grijalva, Arizona 7th
Bob Hernandez, Kansas 4th *
Teresa Leger Fernandez, New Mexico 3rd
Mike Levin, California 49th
John Lira, Texas 23rd *
Bob Menendez, New Jersey 8th *
Grace Napolitano, California 31st
Rosalinda “Linda” Nuno, Texas 10th *
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York 14th
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington 3rd *
Maclovio Perez, Texas 27th *
Delia Ramirez, Illinois 3rd *
Javier Ramos, Arizona 5th *
Corinna Balderramos Robinson, Florida 21st *
Raul Ruiz, California 25th
Rudy Salas, California 22nd *
Andrea Salinas, Oregon 6th *
Darren Soto, Florida 9th
Linda Sanchez, California 38th
Annette Taddeo, Florida 27th *
David Torres, Colorado 5th *
Norma Torres, California 35th
Ritchie Torres, New York 15th
Michelle Vallejo, Texas 15th *
Juan Vargas, California 52nd
Tony Vargas, Nebraska 2nd *
Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico 2nd *
Nydia Velazquez, New York 7th
Claudia Zapata, Texas 21st *
Senate Republican candidates on the ballot (* denotes new candidate)
Leora Levy, Connecticut *
Marco Rubio, Florida
Senate Democratic candidates on the 2022 ballot
Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada
Alex Padilla, California
