Read the full report here.
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.
The 2022 elections offer an immediate occasion for observing and assessing Latina political power as activists, voters, and candidates.
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