The number of Latinos in the Senate will hit a record next year, going from five to seven, thanks to the victories of Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Republican business owner Bernie Moreno in Ohio.
The 119th Congress will also include a few other history-making Latino lawmakers in the House, even though Hispanic representation in that chamber will decrease slightly, from 48 to 45.
A new analysis from the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) assessing Latino gains and losses in Congress shows that Hispanic candidates successfully pursued congressional seats in 12 states in the 2024 election — achieving important milestones in New Jersey, Washington, Colorado and California, as well as in Arizona and Ohio.
The partisan composition of the Latino senators did not change dramatically, according to the analysis. It went from three Democrats and two Republicans to four Democrats and three Republicans. Similarly, in the House, the partisan composition of Latino members of Congress went from 35 Democrats and 13 Republicans to 36 Democrats and nine Republicans.
In the U.S. Senate, incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was re-elected, while fellow incumbents Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.; and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., were not up for re-election.
Gallego defeated Republican opponent Kari Lake to become Arizona’s first Latino senator. His win marks the fourth consecutive Senate race in which Democrats have emerged victorious in that state. He replaces Democratic-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who retired after one term.
Moreno, a Colombian immigrant who became a high-profile Cleveland car dealer, unseated Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. The Republican businessman was endorsed by now president-elect Donald Trump in the midst of a heated primary. He will become the first Latino and person of color to represent Ohio in the Senate.
If Rubio is confirmed to serve as Secretary of State, the number of Latinos in the Senate will go down to six.
Forty Latino incumbents running for re-election in the House won while four lost their seats, according to NALEO’s count. Among the incumbents who won are Luz Rivas and Gil Cisneros, both of whom will be replacing retiring members of Congress in California.
Rivas, a Democratic assembly member, won the 27th Congressional District. The seat is being vacated by retiring Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif. Cisneros, a former member of Congress and a Democrat, will be taking over the seat of retiring Rep. Grace Flores Napolitano, D-Calif., in the 31st Congressional District.
“Latinos pursued congressional spots across the country in groundbreaking races in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives,” Arturo Vargas, chief executive officer of NALEO, said in a statement. “Although Latino seats in the U.S. House of Representatives decreased, Latino candidates on both sides of the aisle made history in this election cycle.”
In New Jersey, Democratic state Sen. Nellie Pou was selected to replace Rep. Bill Pascrell on the ballot, a week after the 87-year-old congressman died following a lengthy hospitalization. After defeating her Republican opponent Billy Prempeh in the state’s 9th Congressional District race, Pou became the first Latina to represent New Jersey in Congress.
In Colorado, Latino GOP challenger Gabe Evans narrowly defeated freshman Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., by less than 1 percentage point in a heavily Hispanic district north of Denver. Caraveo had made history in 2022 as the first Latina member of Congress to represent the state. But now Evans will be making history as the state’s first Latino Republican elected to a full term in Congress, according to NALEO. Latino Rep. Greg Lopez, R-Colo., won a special election in June filling the remainder of former Rep. Ken Buck’s term following his resignation in March. Lopez did not run for a full term.
Democratic state Sen. Emily Randall became the first out queer Latina elected to represent Washington’s 6th Congressional District, and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, a Democrat, became the first Latino to represent a Northern California congressional district in more than 120 years, according to NALEO.
There will be a total of 52 Latino members of the 119th Congress starting next year.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
