Democrats need a nominee for governor who can drive out Latino voters in November
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This election year, some of our most hard-fought civil rights are on the line. Women have lost their reproductive rights. We don’t feel safe in our schools, houses of worship or grocery stores because of mass shootings.
Voting rights and our electoral integrity are under attack. Our political dialogue seems to be less and less rooted in fact, thanks in part to GOP-led disinformation tactics.
The stakes could not be higher for Arizonans. We’re facing an uphill battle, and for diverse communities across the state and country, it feels as though all of our hard-earned progress is in danger.
Latinos have an opportunity to flip Arizona
But it doesn’t have to be this way. We have an opportunity to build a new “Blue Wall” in the Southwest – a safe zone of progress in a country that seems to be moving backwards.
And it starts with Latinos.
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In 2020, Arizona sent Joe Biden to the White House by a mere 10,457 votes. Consensus is that his victory was due in large part to organizing efforts by Latinos and Native Americans.
Latinos delivered the White House for the Democrats in 2020. Now, with the 2022 gubernatorial race, Democrats in Arizona have another chance to flip the state and save our democracy. To do that, they cannot afford to ignore a Latino leader who, at the top of the ticket, can drive Latino turnout for Democrats down ballot in large enough margins where the other side can’t even attempt to claim fraud.
That leader is Marco Lopez.
Marco Lopez has an impressive resume
Marco Lopez was raised in the border city of Nogales, Ariz., by two working-class Mexican immigrants. He and his sisters were the first generation in their family to attend college.
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Once Marco graduated from the University of Arizona, at just 21, he ran for mayor of his hometown and won, earning the title of “Youngest Mayor in America.”
After winning two mayoral elections, then-Gov. Janet Napolitano asked Marco to serve in her administration, where he worked his way up to director of the Arizona Department of Commerce and oversaw critical trade relationships in the state.
Lopez was later appointed by President Obama to chief of staff of Customs and Border Protection, where he oversaw a $13 billion budget and 60,000 people.
In 2011, Marco left the administration to start his own small business in Arizona. He since has been part of efforts to bring high-speed internet to 1 million families with low incomes in the U.S. and, soon, 15,000 additional jobs to Arizona.
A chance to vote for, not just against, someone
He’s running for governor to, as he puts it, “restore the promise of Arizona” – the promise that allowed him the ability to succeed in the state, but for so many working families is out of reach due to years of bad leadership.
If you’ve been following his campaign the last 16 months, you’ll know that Marco isn’t just talking-the-talk when it comes to restoring that promise.
He is the only candidate campaigning in English and Spanish, engaging with Arizona’s diverse communities authentically, doing Spanish-language media weekly and traveling all over the state to communities big and small.
He is speaking on the issues that resonate with voters from all walks of life:
improving Arizona’s education system that ranks near the bottom on spending,
giving working families a chance to stay above water in the midst of rising prices and inflation, and
reducing the shortage of affordable housing that now stands at about 300,000 units.
He’s giving Latino voters a reason to come out and vote for someone, rather than just against someone in a state where Democrats, independents and moderates are so often playing defense – against Jan Brewer, against Joe Arpaio and, most recently, against Donald Trump. With attacks on voting rights, this base doesn’t just need to perform; it needs to overperform.
But first, there is the Democratic primary to be won, and Marco Lopez is counting on us. That is why Latino Victory Fund and Chicanos Por La Causa Action Fund PAC have endorsed Marco Lopez for governor of Arizona, and he absolutely must be on the top of the Democratic ticket come November.
David Adame is board chair of Chicanos Por La Causa Action Fund PAC. Nathalie Rayes is president and CEO of Latino Victory Fund. On Twitter: @DavidAdameCPLC, @NathalieRayes.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Marco Lopez can energize the Latino voters that Democrats need to win
