Latinos to make historic record gains in state legislatures 

Latino candidates are expected to make record gains in state legislatures across the nation after last week’s midterm elections, Axios reported. 

So far, 79 new Latinos have won state legislative seats in the recent elections—64 Democrats and 15 Republicans, according to Kenneth Romero-Cruz, executive director of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. 

Despite some outstanding races, the midterm election results could bring the total number of Hispanic state legislators to more than 500, establishing a new record for Latinos holding seats. 

Before Tuesday’s elections, there were 451 Hispanic state legislators in office—87% Democrats and 13% Republicans. 

Some significant wins for Latinos that have made history include Illinois legislator Delia Ramirez, who will be the first Latina from the Midwest in Congress, and Yadira Caraveo, who will be the first Latina to represent Colorado in Congress. 

In Arizona, Juan Ciscomani will be the first Latino Republican to represent the state in Congress. California elected Democrat Robert Garcia as the first LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress and Alex Padilla as the first Latino elected to U.S. Senate from California. New York elected George Santos, who will become the only LGBTQ Republican in Congress. 

In Florida, Anna Paulina Luna was elected as the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress and Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who identifies as Afro-Cuban, is the first Generation Z member of Congress. 

Similarly, two Latinas made history as Oregon's first Hispanic members of Congress, according to NBC News projections. Democratic state Representative Andrea Salinas will represent Oregon’s 6th Congressional District, while Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer will represent the 5th Congressional District. 

In Rhode Island, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos is the first Dominican American to hold the position. Similarly, New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado will be the first person that identifies as Latino to be elected to the office. 

Several of the state legislators elected this year come from a diverse array of Latino backgrounds, including Venezuelans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Salvadorans, Cubans, Hondurans, and Mexicans. 

According to the Pew Research Center, Latinos have been the fastest-growing voter group since 2018.