The Latino Victory Project has named Sindy Benavides as its new president and CEO. Benavides is replacing Nathalie Rayes, who was recently named ambassador to Croatia by President Biden.
The Latino Victory Project is a national civil rights organization that aims to increase Latino representation across all levels of government. The organization was founded in 2014, and like Reyes, many of its other leaders have also gone to serve candidates during presidential elections or government administrations.
"I am proud to be joining Latino Victory Project as its new Executive Director. At Latino Victory, we know that our work to ensure Latino representation on the ballot and at the ballot box is more critical than ever," said Benavides following the announcement of her appointment.
"All across the country, Latino communities continue to grow and so must their political power and representation at all levels of government. Recruiting, training, and electing more Latinos to office will remain our guiding principle."
Prior to joining the Latino Victory Project, Benavides led the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which is recognized as the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S., as it was founded in 1929.
Benavides's appointment comes at a time when Latinos are poised to make a significant impact on the 2024 elections and in subsequent elections.
Currently, Latinos make up 19.1% of the U.S. population, but it is estimated that by 2060, a quarter of the U.S. population will be Latino, according to recent Census Bureau data. Already, Latinos have been crucial in U.S. elections. In 2020, some 16.6 million Latinos turned out to vote, which was a 30% increase over the 2016 election.
The spike in voter turnout propelled Latinos to become the second-largest voting bloc in the U.S., according to Voto Latino, a civic organization educating Latinos about democracy. In the upcoming election, some 34.5 million Latinos will be eligible to vote, according to a Pew Research survey.
This election may also further the notion that Latinos are not a monolithic group, as research has shown that there is fluidity among what political parties they support, as more Latino are shifting their support from the Democratic Party, according to Brooking Institute survey.
For the Latino Victory Project, the upcoming elections will be a new opportunity to mobilize voters and help elect more Latinos into office.
"With the presidential elections already on the horizon, we need someone who can help lead the Latino community into 2024—and that's Sindy," said a blog post announcing the new appointment.
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