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Politics

The New Latino Political Force

By John Rosman / Digital Editor, KPBS
Published November 8, 2012 at 12:44 PM PST
This story was published more than 12 years ago.
Latinos in the Senate Credit: Naleo Educational Fund
Latinos in the Senate Credit: Naleo Educational Fund

The 2012 national election propelled more Latinos than ever into Congress. And the majority of these elected officials come from the Fronteras region in the southwest. A total of 30 members of Congress are now Latino - 3 in the Senate and 27 in the House.

Here’s a comprehensive list of new and old Latino representatives from the southwest; some we've already profiled, a couple of more you'll be hearing about next week. The asterisk indicates they've just been elected.

Latinos in the House of Representatives Credit: Naleo Education Fund
Latinos in the House of Representatives Credit: Naleo Education Fund

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Senate

Ted Cruz*, Texas, Republican

House of Representatives

Raul Grijalva, Elected in 2003, Arizona 3rd Congressional District, Democrat

Ed Pastor, Elected in 1991, Arizona 7th Congressional District, Democrat

Tony Cardenas,* California 29th Congressional District, Democrat

Grace Flores Napolitano, Elected in 1999, California 32nd Congressional District, Democrat

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Xavier Becerra, Elected in 1993, California 34th Congressional District, Democrat

Gloria Negrete McLeod* California 35th Congressional District, Democrat

Raul Ruiz* California 36th Congressional District, Democrat

Linda Sanchez, Elected in 2003, California 38th Congressional District, Democrat

Lucille Roybal-Allard, Elected in 1993, California 40th Congressional District, Democrat

Loretta Sanchez, Elected in 2003, California 46th Congressional District, Democrat

Juan Vargas* California 51st Congressional District, Democrat

Michelle Lujan Grisham* New Mexico 1st Congressional District, Democrat

Ben R. Lujan, Elected in 2009, New Mexico 3rd Congressional District, Democrat

Ruben Hinojosa, Elected in 1997, Texas 15th Congressional District, Democrat

Bill Flores, Elected in 2011, Texas 17th Congressional District, Republican

Joaquin Castro* Texas 20th Congressional District, Democrat

Pete Gallego* Texas 23rd Congressional District, Democrat

Henry Cuellar, Elected in 2005, Texas 28th Congressional District, Democrat

Filemon Vela* Texas 34th Congressional District, Democrat

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Politics Politics, Democracy and Elections News
John Rosman
John Rosman is the digital editor for KPBS News. He oversees all news content on KPBS.org and across all digital properties. Prior, John was the social media editor for Fronteras Desk. Before heading south, John was a digital producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting. There he led the flagship radio program Think Out Loud in all aspects of digital media. Working with OPB's cultural website, Arts & Life, he also produced multimedia features. By way of metro Detroit, John is a proud graduate of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism. He has worked as an editor in television and film. But he found his passion for public radio during a long winter, in a lonely hotdog stand. When John's away from the office, you can find him catching up on all the sun he missed in Oregon.
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