Latino candidates continue to reach new milestones in Congress and statehouses across the nation, according to an analysis of the midterm elections conducted by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ Educational Fund.
In the U.S. Senate, Democrat Robert Menendez won his first full term as the nation’s first Latino U.S. senator from New Jersey.
In addition to Menendez, the Latino delegation in the U.S. Senate continues to include Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., neither of whom were up for election this year.
In the U.S. House, all Latino Democratic incumbents won re-election.
They will be joined by New Jersey Democratic Rep. Albio Sires, who won the seat Menendez held before his was appointed to the Senate.
All three Latino Republican incumbents in Florida were also successful in their re-election bids.
As a result of the June Supreme Court ruling on Texas’ 2003 congressional redistricting, a panel of federal judges changed the boundaries of certain Texas congressional districts, including District 23, currently held by U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, a Republican.
As a result, the November election in this district was a special election, with five Democratic candidates challenging Bonilla.
To win the special election and avoid a runoff battle, a candidate needed to get at least a majority of the vote.
None of the candidates received a majority, so Bonilla will face former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez in a runoff contest scheduled for December.
Because both candidates are Latino, the race’s outcome will not affect the total number of Latinos in the House – 23.
However, should Bonilla win, there will be 19 Latino Democrats and four Latino Republicans.
Unofficial election results from New Mexico indicate that state Attorney General Patricia Madrid, a Democrat, is trailing slightly in her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Heather Wilson.
Final election results will not be available until a hand count of about 5,500 ballots is completed.
Should Madrid win, there will be another Democrat in the nation’s Latino congressional delegation, and the eighth Latina.
In New Mexico, Latino Democrats will hold three statewide positions. Gov. Bill Richardson won re-election. Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera will become secretary of state, and state Rep. Hector Balderas will serve as state auditor.
