Teresa Leger Fernandez is celebrating a historic win on election night…
The 60-year-old Latina American attorney and first-time politician defeated RepublicanAlexis Martinez Johnson in New Mexico’s Congressional District 3 to become the first woman elected to the seat that is currently held by Rep. Ben Ray Luján.
Luján chose to seek election to the U.S. Senate seat that’s being vacated by Sen. Tom Udall. Luján was declared the winner of the Senate race on November 3.
“It was so emotional to actually realize that I am going to be going to Congress,” Leger Fernandez said during a virtual Democratic Party watch party.
But the history doesn’t end there…
Leger Fernandez and fellow winners Republican Yvette Herrell and Democratic U.S. Rep. Debra Haaland all won in New Mexico, making it the first state to elect all women of color to Congress, according toThe Hill.
DC Comics has unveiled the new young adult graphic novel anthology Wonder Women of History, which celebrates real-life heroes, including the 30-year-old Bronx-born Puerto Rican politician who currently serving as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district.
Ocasio-Cortez, or simply AOC, as she’s known, drew national recognition when she won the Democratic Party‘s primary election for New York’s 14th congressional district in June 2018, defeating Democratic Caucus chair Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries. She defeated Republican opponent Anthony Pappas in the November general election.
Taking office at age 29, Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Congress.She has been noted for her substantial social media presence relative to her fellow members of Congress
Female and non-binary writers and artists tell 17 stories of those “who take up Wonder Woman‘s iconic mantle” in their respective fields of science, sports, entertainment, politics, social justice and more, according to the DC Comics blog.
New York Timesbestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson edited the collection after recently writing the original graphic novel Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed.
In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, Wonder Women of History also spotlights singer-actress Janelle Monáe, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Iskwew Air CEO and Founder Teara Fraser, LGBTQ+ rights activist Edith Windsor, transgender activist and Stonewall uprising figure Marsha P. Johnson, Parkland shooting survivor and gun control advocate Emma Gonzalez, disability rights activist Judith Heumann, NASA‘s first Hispanic female astronaut Ellen Ochoa, deputy director of Wuhan Institute of Virology and China’s “Bat Woman” Dr. Shi Zhengli, 23-time Grand Slam winning tennis player Serena Williams, stand-up comic Tig Notaro, actress Keiko Agena, and the first African American gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal Dominique Dawes.
The graphic novel will officially hit bookstore shelves everywhere on December 1. The anthologywill also include portraits of illustrators Weshoyot Alvitre, Colleen Doran, Agnes Garbowska, Bex Glendining, Ashley A. Woods, and Safiya Zerrougui.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is set to make a major splash…
The 30-year-old Puerto Rican politician and current the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district will have a speaking slot at next week’s virtual Democratic National Convention, which, because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be almost entirely virtual from locations across the country.
Ocasio-Cortez, the star of the progressive left, had yet to enter elective politics in the last cycle.
The first-time congresswoman will speak on Tuesday, August 18, on the same nice a virtual roll call of delegates will take place to formally nominate Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Catherine Cortez Masto will also take the national stage.
The 56-year-old half-Mexican American lawyer and politician, who has served as a United States senator from Nevada since 2017, will appear on Monday, August 17.
And, Michelle Lujan Grisham will speak at the convention.
The 60-year-old Mexican American politician, the current governor of New Mexico, will speak on Wednesday, August 19.
In 2018, Lujan Grisham became the first Democratic woman elected governor of New Mexico, as well as the first Democratic Hispanic elected state governor in U.S. history.
Other speakers include Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.
Some of the speakers are pre-recording their speeches. The New York Times reported that Michelle Obama was pre-taping her appearance, while a source said the Bill Clinton was doing the same.
The proceedings will take place from 9:00 -11:00 pm ET each evening, starting on Monday.
The lineup:
Monday
Bernie Sanders, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), John Kasich, Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Tuesday
Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DL), Bill Clinton, and Jill Biden. Also planned that evening are keynote address, with the speaker yet to be identified, and a virtual roll call of delegates to formally nominate Joe Biden.
Wednesday
Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Barack Obama.
Thursday
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Newsom, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former South Bend, IN mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DL), Harris, the Biden family and Biden.
Democrats also announced nine speakers “from all walks of life,” designed to showcase everyday Americans at the convention.
The United States has its first Latino Democratic Party chairman… And, his name is Tom Perez.
The 55-year-old Dominican American politician, consumer advocate, and civil rights lawyer, a former Labor Secretary, beat out Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison a hotly contested race to lead the Democratic Party as their new chairman, and their first-ever Latino leader, on Saturday.
Perez defeated Ellison in a 235-200 vote among the Democratic National Committee‘s 435 members who cast ballots Saturday.
It took two rounds of voting to select a winner after Perez found himself just one vote shy in the first ballot. The five other candidates, who had amassed 13.5 total votes, all exited the race before the second round began.
In a victory speech, Perez vowed that Democrats would wage an all-out battle to deny Trump a second term.
“We are at a ‘where were you?’ moment in American history: Where were you in 2017 when we had the worst President in US history?” he said.
Immediately after winning, Perez made a quick move to bring Ellison’s supporters into the fold — appointing Ellison as the deputy chair of the DNC, to cheers and unanimous approval from the crowd.
Ellison called on Democrats to support Perez.
“It’s my honor to serve this party under the chairmanship of Tom Perez,” he said.
The results brought a chaotic close to a race that stretched on for three months. In the waning days, former Vice President Joe Biden and several aides to former President Barack Obama — including Valerie Jarrett and David Simas — made calls to undecided members in an effort to sway them toward Perez.
In Ellison’s camp, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and supportive members of Congress applied pressure on DNC members with phone calls.
Obama touted what he said was the party’s track record of expanding the economy, creating new jobs, keeping Americans safe through “tough, smart” foreign policy, and expanding the right to health insurance.
“That’s a legacy the Democratic Party will always carry forward,” Obama said. “I know that Tom Perez will unite us under that banner of opportunity, and lay the groundwork for a new generation of Democratic leadership for this big, bold, inclusive, dynamic America we love so much.”
In a tweet, Hillary Clinton congratulated Perez and Ellison, writing: “Excited for strong, unified party standing for best of our country into the future.”
Perez, a Maryland Democrat who worked in Obama’s Justice Department before serving as labor secretary and making Clinton’s short list for the vice presidential nomination, made overtures to Ellison’s backers in his nomination speech before the votes were cast.
“Good leaders are great listeners. You will always have my ear, and I will always have your back,” Perez told the crowd, promising to “plan strategy together, lift each other up together.”
“You will not be underutilized,” he said. “You are of import in everything we do. The most important question you will hear from me is, ‘What do you think?'”
The 55-year-old American politician, consumer advocate and civil rights lawyer moved closer to clinching the race to chair the Democratic Party after one of his competitors dropped out and endorsed the former labor secretary — shaking up the contest two days before the election.
South Carolina Democratic Party chairman Jaime Harrison emailed Democratic National Committee members Thursday to say he is dropping out and backing Perez, who was the United States Secretary of Labor from 2013 to 2017.
Harrison was a distant contender — far behind Perez and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison. “In a former job, I whipped votes for House Democrats. I know what a path to victory looks like,” Harrison said in his email, acknowledging he couldn’t win.
But with both Perez and Ellison within striking distance of the majority of the DNC‘s 447 voting members, Harrison’s support could push Perez over the edge — and make Harrison the kingmaker.
Vote-counting is nebulous, since some DNC members have not revealed their plans even privately, and there’s no reason those who have committed to support one candidate couldn’t change their minds at the last minute.
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But a source close to Perez said Thursday that Harrison had about 30 supporters, and about 20 were expected to now back Perez. The source said Perez already had about 200 supporters — but cautioned that Saturday’s proceedings are hard to predict.
With several of the DNC’s 447 membership slots vacant, 442 DNC members are eligible to vote Saturday. If all do so, it will take 222 votes to win.
Harrison’s move comes days after New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley dropped out and endorsed Ellison.
A Perez spokeswoman said Harrison did not receive any commitment for a specific role within the party in exchange for his support.
“Every person who knows Jaime Harrison will say he is one of the smartest, most dedicated, and genuine leaders we know,” Perez said in a statement. “Simply put, he’s one of a kind. Jaime’s commitment to the party is like no other and I’m proud to have his support as we both work together to invest in state parties, turnaround the DNC, and get back to winning.”
Harrison’s exit leaves South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Idaho Democratic Party executive director Sally Boynton Brown likely vying for third place, each with what Democrats tracking the race say are about 10 votes in their favor.
Buttigieg had hoped to emerge as the balloting went on Saturday in Atlanta. But the increasingly narrowing field before the election means the race could end too quickly for a third option to break out.
The 32-year-old Honduran American actress appears in a special Elizabeth Banks-produced a cappella music video in support of the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States.
In a nod to the Pitch Perfect films she produces, Banks, along with Bruce Cohen and Mike Thompkins, recruited a long list of Hollywood actors and singers, including the former Ugly Betty star, for an a cappella version of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.”
In addition to Ferrera, other Hollywood elit appearing in the video include Eva Longoria, Kristin Chenoweth, Rob Reiner, Mandy Moore, Alan Cumming, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Idina Menzel, Renee Fleming, Aisha Tyler, Jane Fonda, Sheryl Crow and, at the very end, Sia with a loud and proud, “Go Hillary.”
The 38-year-old Mexican American Harvard-trained attorney and five-term state representative will now represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He’ll replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, in District 20. Gonzalez has served since 1999, replacing his father, Henry B. Gonzalez, who held the seat from 1961 to 1999.
“We won this race not only with the support of Democrats but also Republicans and independents,” said Castro.
Castro, considered a rising star of the Democratic Party, is being hailed by political insiders as “the most anticipated Democratic newcomer in Congress come swearing-in time in January.”
The 20th district is about 64 percent Latino and has a majority of Democrat registered voters. (55 percent)
He’s a rising star in the Democratic Party… And now Julián Castrowill be making political history.
The 37-year-old Mexican-American politician, the two-term mayor of San Antonio, will be the first Latino keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, an event chaired by another famous Latino politician: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
“Not only was the administration and Democratic National Committee recognizing the importance of Hispanics in America, but also I think it tells you that they’re seriously looking at Texas, at the demographic changes that have occurred in Texas [that] are making this state a state that quickly will turn purple and then blue after that,” said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, the first Latino to hold that post. “This honor … is a recognition of that.”
To many, Castro—the son of famous activist Rosie Castro—represents the future of the party, which is making every effort to solidify its role as the party of choice for Latinos.
In 2010, he attended President Barack Obama‘s national jobs-and-growth economic forum at the White House, an event where the president actually joked that he thought Castro was an intern.
Many believe Castro could be considered the future face of the party, and someone who could win the presidency one day.
In a video announcing the address, Castro praised Obama’s 2004 speech, as well as his health reform act and foreign policy.
“Julián really stands out,” Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, an associate professor of Chicano and global studies at the University of California Los Angeles, told the New York Times in what has become a widely cited profile. “There are other talented young Hispanic politicians around, but few have his stature or national potential. He’s from San Antonio, but he’s very much admired in California. He’s like Obama — one of us, but someone who also comes out of a broader American experience.”
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is preparing to shine bright in the national spotlight…
The 59-year-old Mexican American politician has been tapped to chair the Democratic Party’s national convention this summer in Charlotte, N.C.
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who serves as the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, announced in an email to DNC members that Villaraigosa will be nominated to chair the September convention.
Chairing the national convention, where Democrats are expected to nominate President Barack Obama for a second term, will place Villaraigosa in a national spotlight. Overseeing the gathering will also place the Latino mayor front and center as Democrats attempt to woo Latino support for Obama and other candidates.
Wasserman Schultz tells DNC members that Villaraigosa has empowered people during his career and will encourage engagement from Americans across the country.
Meanwhile, Villaraigosa, one of the nation’s most prominent elected Latino officials, said he expected to play a role in the campaign’s outreach to Latino voters. The White House is counting on strong Latino turnout, especially in battleground states such as Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida. But the mayor said he planned to speak “to a broad cross section of people, not just to Latinos.”
Villaraigosa was elected mayor in 2005 and re-elected in 2009.
