Despite Environment, Latinos Made Record Electoral Gains in 2016

As Hispanic Heritage Month begins, some are pointing to Congress to argue that Trump’s win was an anomaly, according toRoll Call. The 2016 elections saw nine congressional districts and Puerto Rico elect new Latino lawmakers. Six of them -- all but one of them Democrats -- replaced white or African American incumbents. In the Senate, Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)became the country’s first Latina senator. In addition to Cortez Masto, new Hispanic members included Congressmen Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), the first Dominican American elected to Congress, and Darren Soto (D-FL), the first Puerto Rican to represent Florida in the House. The other members who took seats previously occupied by non-Latinos were Rubén Kihuen (D-NV), Nanette Barragán (D-CA) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Brian Mast (R-FL). The number of Hispanic members in the 115th Congress -- 41 -- is more than double what it was 20 years ago. “While we lost at the top of the ticket, the untold story of the election was the dramatic increase in Latino participation rates that allowed for a record number of Latinos to be elected to office,” said Cristóbal Alex, president of the Latino Victory Project. Read more here.